Radio Iowa

Huckabee's skills

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee spoke with a group of reporters in Des Moines Saturday night before the Iowa GOP's fall banquet got underway.  Someone asked him about fundraising, Huckabee reported that his fundraising last week had equalled the amount he raised in the first three months of the year.

I asked a follow up:  "People are sort of puzzled that a minister who gives, you know, an annual stewardship drive sermon to his flock hadn't heretofore raised the money?"

Huckabee responded:  "It's really a matter of we had a much later start.  Unlike other candidates who could prime the pump with their own money or could transfer some from the federal accounts, we had to start from zero...."  Read more in this Radio Iowa story.

Another reporter asked Huckabee about charges that he is not a fiscal conservative -- a new charge came today from the Club for Growth, BTW.  Oh, and Huckabee's answer came a few hours after he'd gone pheasant hunting in Iowa.

"I'm just flattered to be attacked...A good hunter never puts the crosshairs on a dead carcas, so the fact that now I'm under relentless attack is an indication that somebody thinks I'm alive and well," Huckabee said.  "My record is an incredibly good one.  It is that of a fiscal conservative and objective people will see it.  This is politics.  We can expact attacks. Before it's over, they'll be people accusing me of everything from the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa to the Kennedy assassination."

Some of Huckabee's personable political skills, perhaps learned when he served in the pulpit rather than the Arkansas statehouse, were on display Saturday night.

Seven candidates speak at Iowa GOP's Reagan Dinner

The Republican Party of Iowa is getting good use out of some of the items they bought for the August Straw Poll.  The huge backdrop for tonight's speakers is the same scene -- a vista where the Iowa statehouse is on a hill and the word "First in the Nation" are emblazoned on the blue sky.  The party also played the Caucus history video they made/bought for the Straw Poll. 

This evening, the candidates will speak in the following order:  Duncan Hunter, John Cox, Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo, Huckabee, and Thompson.  Dinner will be served between Tancredo's speech and Huckabee's. 

Senator Charles Grassley is the first elected official to speak. The crowd gave him a standing ovation as he took the stage.  "There was a time early in my political career when people stood up as you just did, I thought they were going to walk out," Grassley quipped. 

Grassley mentioned the Democrats in the US Senate who are running for president. "They're going to do a heck of a lot less damage if they stay in the United States Senate," Grassley said.

Grassley is wearing what appears to be a pinkish purple tie.  Huckabee stopped by the media row a few minutes ago.  He's wearing a blue tie with little white elephants all over it.  He confirmed for the assembled reporters that the tie was made in the USA.

Grassley ended his speech the same way he ends a phone call.  He stepped away from the microphone while he was saying his final sentence and started walking away.  Grassley, when talking on the phone, often says, "O.K., goodbye," as the receiver is headed down.

Hunter begins by talking about the California wildfires, telling some joke about his wife going back into their burning home (a few years ago) to retrieve his stuffed elk heads.  Hunter accuses Democrats of blaming Bush for the fires. "How 'bout if in '08 we give them a Republican tsunami?" Hunter asked, getting applause.

Obama says Clinton not "ready to lead" -- attacks over Social Security

Illinois Senator/Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is due to speak at a senior center a few blocks from the Iowa State Fairgrounds in less than half an hour.  One hundred chairs (I counted) are arranged for the expected crowd.  This was the site of an Al Gore campaign stop in the 2000 campaign and I remember  the place being packed.  This morning the Obama camp has assembled the familiar true blue curtains and eight American flags as a backdrop.

Kim Tu of West Des Moines and her husband were among the first to arrive.  She is no senior citizen.

"I like a lot of his values.  We have small children so I like all of his values with the family and medical insurance and values for the middle class and I've been with him since day one.  I'd like to see him go all the way to the White House," Tu told me. 

So why isn't Tu, who works full-time as a veterinary technician, supporting Hillary Clinton? "I wasn't a huge fan of Bill Clinton, actually, and I just feel much more stronger about (Obama's) values," Tu said.

Tu's husband, who works full-time intalling heating and cooling units, hasn't made up his mind yet -- and that's why Kim brought him here this morning.

"I just don't know yet," he said.  Health care is his main issue.

A field organizer was first to speak to the crowd, inviting people to other Obama events around the city.  Then, one of Obama's precinct organizers spoke. 

"I've been a Barack supporter for four years....Go Barack!" she says.  "Caucusing is the beginning...It's kind of a heavy responsibility to know that we're going to start this whole ball rolling, but it's pretty neat," 

She aska a few of the questions on the Obama quiz that has become a staple of Obama events.  But for the first time since I've been sitting through these things, this question was asked:  "what denomination of church do Barack and his family belong to in Chicago?"  If you were here, and answered first and answered correctly, you'd get an Obama t-shirt.

Breaking news: (nearly) a date for the Caucuses?

The Iowa Democratic Party's State Central Committee will meet this Sunday at 8 p.m.  IDP spokeswoman Carrie Giddins says they will indeed be discussing the scheduling of the Iowa Caucuses.

The Iowa Republican Party's State Central Committee met earlier this month and settled on Thursday, January 3, 2008 as the date for the GOP's precinct caucuses.  In conversations with Democratic party officials and those connected to or participating in the discussions, it appears highly likely Iowa Democrats will hold their precinct-level meetings on January 3 as well.

UPDATED:  Carrie Giddins, the IDP spokeswoman, confirms the recommendation from top party officials will be to hold the Democratic Party's Caucuses on the same night as the Republicans.

By land and by air, candidates target Iowa voters

Iowans who've been listening to the radio and watching television have been receiving the advertising messages of the presidential candidates for months.  It appears the candidates are starting to increase their direct mail to likely Iowa Caucus-goers.

Last weekend, New York Senator Hillary Clinton sent out a letter explaining her vote on the resolution which declared Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. 

Now, Illinois Senator Barack Obama is sending many of the same people a little something in the mail.  It's a piece (featuring two photos of Obama) that directly confronts Clinton over than Iran resolution.  Here is what it says: "While others went along, Obama opposed Bush’s war plans. Barack Obama is the ONLY major candidate for president to oppose both the Iraq War from the very start and the Senate amendment that raises the risk of war with Iran. While other Democrats voted for for the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment,
Barack Obama opposed another Bush foreign policy fiasco. 'Why is this amendment so dangerous? Because George Bush and Dick Cheney could use this language to justify keeping our troops in Iraq as long as they can point to a threat from Iran. And because they could use this language to justify an attack on Iran as a part of the ongoing war in Iraq.' – Barack Obama." It concludes with the words "Judgment we can trust."

HRC, Richardson, Biden at Polk County Dems

Polk County Democrats are holding some sort of BBQ this evening on the Iowa State Fairgrounds and three of the presidential candidates intend to speak to the throng.  Each of the three has young boosters positioned outside this Morton Building (if you're a farm kid, you know what that is; the "official" name of the thing is Wanut Center) and they're chanting.  The Edwards kids were shouting: "We love Elizabeth.  We love John.  We want to see them on the White House lawn."

Polk County activist Betty Brim-Hunter told the crowd:  "Caucuses are very expensive and this is the way we raise money."  This being the auction of items they're hoping will raise money, as well as the ticket price for the meal.

Next, Polk County Chairman Tom Henderson (no relation) spoke.  He got the biggest swell of applause from the crowd when he mentioned the recent Gallup Poll which showed Bush's job approval rating at 29 percent.  No mention of the popularity of congress (or lack thereof).

Delaware Senator Joe Biden was the first in the room, and he chatted with a group of reporters, saying he intends to stay in the race 'til the end.  This in answer to a question about Brownback's withdrawal and whether there might be others not doing so well in fundraising or in the polls (like himself) who might be pondering such a move.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was second in the room.  He did a live shot at the end of a local TV newscast, then went outside to answer a few questions from reporters.  Richardson vows to "respect Iowans" and stay away on Thanksgiving and Christmas Days, but told reporters he intends to spend a good deal of time here in advance of the Caucuses, whenever they are.  He also wishes he knew when they would be.

Then, Biden took the stage, beginning with a thank you as he said Iowans give candidates who don't have the big chunks of dough to be competitive, otherwise he said the nomination would be determined by who had the most cash. Biden told the crowd he was given 10 minutes to speak.  He went 17 minutes. After his address, former Senator Jim Riordan auctioned off a pair of Senate cuff links donated by Biden.  I cannot hear how much they brought, but it seemed like $20.  The next item sold for $30.  Cuff links always remind me of Pat Buchanan, as he wore such nice ones while campaigning in Iowa.

Richardson on "21st century global threats"

New Mexico Governor/former Congressman/former UN Ambassador/former US Energy Secretary/Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson is scheduled to deliver a "major address" at noon today.  It's now 12:08 p.m.  He is nowhere to be seen, so I shall regale you with the setting.

The room chosen for this major address is the same room Hillary Clinton chose a couple of months ago for her major speech on Iraq.  It's on the 4th floor of the refurbished Masonic Temple, now called the Temple for the Performing Arts, in downtown Des Moines.  The infamous Centro restaurant is at street level in the building.  Several of the people who've crowded into the room are holding a cup of Starbucks coffee, as there's a Starbucks in the street level portion of the building, too.

NOt only has Hillary Clinton used this as a campaign venue, it's the same room where John Kerry delivered his "announcement" speech during his "announcement tour" back in 2003.  You may have seen the marble pillars behind him in some of the video snippets which were eventually used in campaign commericals.  I was in this room on the first Saturday of this month, attending the media wedding of the year in Des Moines -- uniting Dave Price of WHO-TV and Emily Givens of KCCI-TV.  One of Dave's newsroom colleagues has just suggested Emily is the better half of that pair.  I shall not comment.

There is a teleprompter set up for Richardson and a huge American flag hangs behind the lectern for a backdrop.  A placard on the front of the lectern is red, white and blue, too.  It's a Richardson for President poster.  Now, David Hurd, retired CEO of the Principal Financial Group, has announced it is "my pleasure to introduce Bill Richardson."  He declares himself "wonderstruck" by Richardson's resume.

Trail Mix

Former Massachusetts Governor/GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney had to ask a staffer for some good old American currency yesterday during a stop in eastern Iowa.  Romney's wallet was no where to be found.  The story from ABC.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign has scheduled a discussion of rural policy -- in a lobbying firm in Washington, D.C.  Again, the story from ABC.

Sources in DM & DC indicate House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be the emcee of the Iowa Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner on November 10, 2007, in Des Moines.  As you may recall, New York Senator Hillary Clinton performed that role at the JJ Dinner back in 2003. 

"Happy Trails to You," may be sung soon to Sam Brownback.  The Republican presidential candidate is expected to drop out of the race tomorrow.  Here's the Radio Iowa story.

Giuliani at Drake University

Texas Governor Rick Perry is warming up the crowd, bragging about his seven-year record of governing a "rather large state" where he says they reduced a budget deficit and turned it into a surplus.  (His twang gave the word "surplus" a strange twist for this Iowa audience.)

Perry bragged about being "arguably the most pro-life governor in Texas history."  He told the crowd, "some of my friends on the social conservative side say, 'Wait a minute: how can you get comfortable with a person who is in his personal life prochoice?'  I said....Mayor Giuliani is not our enemy.  He is a cultural warrior, I will suggest to you."

Perry described Giuliani as an "old-school conservative" and told the crowd he (Perry) had given "prayerful thought" to his decision to endorse Giuliani today (that happened this morning in Washington, D.C.).  Perry said Giuliani's promise to appoint "strict constructionist judges" to the Supreme Court "makes my heart warm."

Finally, with a verbal flourish, Perry introduces "America's Mayor, Rudy Giuliani."  The crowd applauds and Giuliani enters the room which is crowded with about 400 people.

Huckabee on his Arkansas fundraising, compared to HRC's

The Politico's Jonathan Martin has a blog post comparing the fundraising success Hillary Clinton and Mike Huckabee have had in Arkansas.  Condensed version:  the former Arkansas First Lady (Clinton) raised about six times as much from Arkansas donors as did the former Arkansas governor (Huckabee).

I just chatted by phone with Huckabee on another topic, but asked a final question about this fundraising disparity.

"There's about 50 Democrats to every Republican in the state.  Look at the demographics of Arkansas.  Democrats still overwhelmingly dominate the political landscape, so that's no surprise.  I was always out-raised by most all of my opponents and still beat them so that, for me, is not the issue.  It's going to be more about connecting with voters," Huckabee said.