Radio Iowa

Who might the next Culver C.O.S. be?

Patrick Dillon, Governor Chet Culver's first chief of staff, left a few months ago to join the Obama White House as a deputy political director. Charlie Krogmeier, Culver's budget director, stepped in to fill the chief of staff slot.  Now, Culver has named Krogmeier head of the Department of Human Services.  Krogmeier's in that new job "immediately," meaning now.  It means Culver is likely to name a new chief of staff soon, right?

The person who may be in line for that post is John Kirincich.  He was hired earlier this year and started a couple of weeks ago as Culver's "chief operating officer." Kirincich has recent experience in D.C., having served as chief of staff for Representative Jim Marshall (D-Georgia). As best I can tell from congressional salary records, Kirincich was in that job from 2004 to the end of 2008.

In addition, Kirincich served as executive director of the Georgia Democratic Party from January of 1999 to March of 2002.  He worked on the (unsuccessful) 1996 campaign of Kathy Karpan, a Democratic candidate for one of Wyoming's U.S. senate seats and the (unsuccessful) 1998 gubernatorial campaign of David Poythress in Georgia.

He's a graduate of the Pope John XXIII High School in Sparta, New Jersey and a 1990 graduate of the University of Virginia.

Governor appoints his chief of staff to DHS post

Governor Chet Culver announced via news release that his chief of staff -- Charlie Krogmeier -- is going to become director of the Department of Human Services.  Krogmeier takes over from Gene Gessow.  Republicans in the state senate voted against Gessow's nomination to the DHS job. There are 32 Democrats in the state senate, but it takes 34 senators to win confirmation from the senate and all 18 Republicans voted "no" on Gessow.

Krogmeier was called into to be Culver's chief of staff after Patrick Dillon left to join the White House staff.

Read the governor's news release below.

Harkin: Biden's comments "unfortunate"

Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) spoke with Iowa radio reporters this morning via a telephone conference call.  Listen to Radio Iowa's Matt Kelley ask Harkin about Vice President Joe Biden's comments on The Today Show this morning.  (Biden was asked on Today what advice he'd give his family about the flu outbreak, and Biden said he'd tell them to avoid "confined spaces" like airplanes and subways. "When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft," Biden said.)

Here's what Harkin had to say:  "Well, I think that's a very unfortunate statement by the vice president.  We just don't need that type of misinformation going out.  I wish the vice president had checked with the center for disease control and preparedness before he made that statement....As far as not riding on subways or planes, we're not going to shut down our system and that doesn't get to the nub of the problem anyway, so I think that's very unfortunate that this kind of misinformation got out."

Harkin is chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services, Education & Related Agencies.  The panel oversees/drafts spending plans for the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Public Health Service.

Elizabeth Edwards: "He should not have run" in 2008

The New York Daily News obtained a copy of the new book Elizabeth Edwards -- wife of 2004 and 2008 Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards -- has written.  Read about it here.

In the article, Elizabeth Edwards is quoted as saying that after her husband admitted the affair to her, she wanted him to quit running for president in 2007 -- as a means of protecting the family.

Surprised? Enchanted? Humbled? Troubled?

The pride of Exeter, Nebraska/former sports reporter for the Fillmore County (Nebraska) News/former York (Nebraska) News-Times reporterformer editor of the University of Nebraska's Daily Nebraskan/former Des Moines Register reporter/my friend/former Chicago Tribune national political correspondent/current New York Times White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny asked (what I consider to be) the question of the night during President Obama's news conference. It was provocative, in this sense: those of us who watched the news conference on our television sets got to "see" the president thinking right there in front of us.

Those of you who are involved in Iowa politics know Mr. Zeleny's work here in Iowa from when he worked at the Register and Chicago Tribune and his work at The Times. Here's the transcript from tonight's news conference in the White House, after Obama calls on newsman Zeleny:

Biden talks about Specter with "regional reporters"

Vice President Joe Biden held a telephone conference call earlier this afternoon with "regional reporters" and Biden was asked two questions about Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter's decision to jump from the GOP to the Democratic Party. Click here to listen to Biden.  The first question is about Specter's role in Employee Free Choice debate.  ("I don't know," was Biden's main point.) The second comes from a reporter from Pennsylvania who asked about Biden's role in Specter's switch and there is some reference to spaghetti sauce from Scranton, Pennsylvania.

"I start out with a bias," Biden said after the exchange over spaghetti sauce. "He's been my friend and confidant for well over 30 years. We've worked together on a wide range of really critical issues from Supreme Court nominations  -- the Bork nomination and we disagreed on the Thomas nomination -- I mean, we have been together for a long, long time. 

"One thing I walk away with knowing about Arlen (is) one, he has more courage than most people I know. Number two: he is absolutely independent and he decides on a course and he takes it and he usually is able to sustain an incredibly rigorous intellectual rationale for the positions he takes.

"Having said that, I believe Arlen became convinced that the Republican Party left him."

Iowa officials hang different name on "swine flu"

According to news releases issued early this afternoon, both Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Governor Chet Culver (D-Iowa) have begun using the name "H1N1" rather than the "swine flu."  President Obama and former Mount Pleasant, Iowa mayor/former state senator/former Iowa Governor/2008 Democratic presidential candidate/current US Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack called it H1N1 yesterday.

Iowa's lieutenant governor makes Letterman

Iowa Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge's coughing fit during a Monday afternoon news conference about swine flu went national last night.  David Letterman played the clip during his opening monologue.

The Nussle Group

Former Iowa Congressman/2006 GOP gubernatorial candidate/OMB chief for President George W. Bush Jim Nussle has formed a consulting group with two of his former staffers. The news release was just delivered to my inbox.  I've copied the body of the news release below.

    The Nussle Group is a multi-disciplined government relations and strategic consulting firm serving a wide range of clients across multiple sectors.
    We specialize in recruiting a talented team and developing creative solutions to assist clients in navigating the complicated and challenging intersections of public policy, government relations, public relations, international relations and politics. 
    For every client, and every project, we bring together a team of experts to custom design and implement a solution to achieve the results you desire. 
    Let us custom design and implement a solution for you!

The Nussle Group, according to the letterhead, is operating out of an office at 828 Slaters Lane, Suite 104, Alexandria, VA. Nussle's joined at the firm by Barbra Snitker (a long-time administrative assistant to Nussle when he was in congress and at OMB) and Chris Bliley (Bliley served as Nussle's chief of staff when Nussle was in congress).

UPDATE:  I went on the firm's website and found this more complete news release.

Former Budget Director Forms Consulting Firm

April 29, 2009

Washington, D.C. -- Former Director of the White House Office of Management & Budget (OMB) and Chairman of the House Budget Committee, Jim Nussle, announced today the formation of a unique consulting firm that draws on his expertise in the federal government and budget process.

Nussle, who also served on the House Ways & Means Committee, has formed The Nussle Group, a multi-disciplined government relations and strategic consulting firm to serve a wide range of clients across multiple sectors.

Joining Nussle at the firm are Barbra Snitker and Christopher Bliley, two professionals with broad experience that served in senior positions for Nussle during his time on Capitol Hill. Snitker also served at OMB with Nussle, while Bliley served in the Administration at the Environmental Protection Agency.

“What’s unique about The Nussle Group’s approach”, Nussle noted, “is we bring together a talented team to create tailor-made solutions for our clients. I’m eager to put my public service experience to work to help my clients. And because of our size we are able to provide a more personal service for them.” The Nussle Group will assemble experienced teams on behalf of clients to compliment Nussle’s experience not only in the budget area, but also in fields such as health care, tax and finance, regulation, energy, higher education and non-profit, agriculture and rural development, telecommunications and technology and national security.

“I’ve met and worked with some very talented people throughout my career”, Nussle continued, “and I see an opportunity to bring some of them together at various times to custom design solutions to achieve results for people.”

The Nussle Group’s practice areas focus on government and regulations, fiscal and economic analysis, management and business development, strategic planning and politics.

“It’s great to be able to continue to work on the same issues I cared about during my time in public service”, Nussle said. “I’m looking forward to this opportunity to continue to serve in a new way.”

###

Jim Nussle was first elected to the House of Representatives from Northeast Iowa in 1990, and at the time was the youngest serving member of the House. In 2001 he was elected by his peers to chair the powerful House Budget Committee for three straight two year terms. In 2007 the U.S. Senate confirmed him as Director of the Office of Management & Budget after he was nominated by President George W. Bush. In addition to his current position of President & CEO of The Nussle Group, he also serves on the board of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and is a frequent guest on various cable news networks

UPDATE II:  Here's more background. 

In mid-February Nussle's wife, Karen, formed her own consulting group called Ripple Communications.

After Nussle's loss to Chet Culver in November, 2006, Nussle formed a consulting group called Navigating Strategies with Steve Greiner, another chief of staff in his congressional office. (Greiner left Nussle's office to become legal counsel for then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich.  Nussle also worked as an advisor to Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani in 2007, before leaving the firm and the campaign trail to become President George Bush's last budget director. 

In June of 2008 Nussle spoke with me by phone.  This blog post about our conversation includes a tidbit that suggests Nussle has a novel in mind -- but it's not about the OMB -- "but it's not ready for prime time yet."

Same-sex couples get marriage licenses in Iowa

I arrived at the Polk County Administrative Building at 7:15 a.m.  There were a few gay couples lined up, waiting to be the first to receive marriage licenses.  There were far more media (reporters and photographers) than there were gay couples and their witnesses.  (A couple must have a witness to obtain a marriage license.)

Above you will see a man interviewing Ingrid Olson and Reva Evans, one of the couples involved in the lawsuit which resulted in today's activities.  Reva is holding their son Jamison. 

The first couple in line arrived at 5:45 a.m. this morning.  Andrew Mahoney-Lamb and Grant Lamb of Des Moines have been a "couple" for three years.

"We had a commitment ceremony a year ago to the day, so now it's time to make it legal." Andrew Mahoney-Lamb told me.

In case you're just joining this program, already in progress, on April 3 the Iowa Supreme Court issued a ruling that legalized gay marriage.  The ruling took effect this morning, Monday, April 27, 2009.  "It was wonderful to hear that now we can make everything legal." Andrew said.

Grant talked about the day of the ruling, too.

"When I read the 69 pages and I hit page 69 and it said, 'unanimous,' I was just mind-blogged and I emailed (Andrew) right away and of course the (Supreme Court's) server was down and we had to wait for the pdf files to come up from the judicial system, but once we read it, it was -- still to this day I don't believe it and I won't believe it until the papers are signed."

The couple plans to apply for a waiver and try to get married tonight.  

Radio Iowa's Dar Danielson was also on the scene, interviewing couples waiting in line.  The picture to the right shows Dar interviewing Chris Tabor and his partner, Rusty Warning, who drove to Des Moines from Jefferson City, Missouri to get a marriage license.  "We've been together for nine years...It matters to us," Tabor says of the license, which will not be recognized in their home state of Missouri. 

At about 7:45 a.m., Iowa Family Policy Council president Chuck Hurley came out of the building.  He had delivered -- in his estimation -- "a couple thousand" petition signatures to the Polk County Recorder's Office.  The petitioners urge the recorder not to issue the licenses this morning.  He ran into two women, standing outside, holding petition signatures they'd collected at church yesterday.

"This is very much a grassroots, citizen thing," Hurley said as he talked with the women, who wondered if they should hand Hurley their petitions and have him deliver them.  Hurley urged the women to make copies of their petitions before handing them over, though, so they could turn the list of names over to his group.

"If you can run copies today, I'd encourage you to do it," Hurley said.  The picture below shows Hurley speaking with the two women.  I was surprised there were no prayer vigils.  Our affiliate in Burlington emails there was a prayer vigil outside the Des Moines County Courthouse.  (Iowa trivia:  Des Moines, Iowa is in Polk County.  The county seat of Des Moines County is Burlington, Iowa.)

Hurley told reporters the Polk County Attorney and an assistant in the recorder's office were there to listen to Hurley read the petition and accept the petition signature.  "They also understood that we would provide free legal defense if they would decide to adopt the conscience clause and they refused to issue based on their right of conscience which has been recognized since before the Declaration of Independence."

So what was the reply?  Polk County's Recorder is issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples as I type this.  Hurley says "a couple" of the other 98 county recorders in Iowa want to refuse and Hurley has advised those individuals to "make that decision public."  The picture below shows the media trong surrounding Hurley as he spoke.