Radio Iowa

Fallon pitch for dollars

Ed Fallon, a former state legislator who ran for governor in 2006, ran in the Democratic primary for Iowa's third district congressional seat and lost to incumbent Leonard Boswell.  Fallon, who is from Des Moines, issued a fundraising appeal to supporters this week.  Read it below.  Does it sound bitter to you?  Plus, when I got to the boldface, all caps declaration that he is "NOT GIVING UP" I wondered if Fallon was to reveal he was running as an independent candidate in the fall against Boswell.

Culver miffed at McCain

During a public appearance this morning at the Iowa Farm Bureau's headquarters in West Des Moines, Iowa, Governor Chet Culver (a Democrat) said he asked presidential candidate Barack Obama and John McCain not to make personal appearances in Iowa as the state fought flood waters.  While Culver didn't say he's angry, Culver indicated he had asked John McCain not to stop in Columbus Junction Thursday. Culver said President Bush's trip to Cedar Rapids and Iowa City on Thursday was entirely different, as it is essential that Bush gets a first-hand look at the flood damage since Bush has the authority to decide  how much federal relief comes Iowa's way.

UPDATE:  Here is audio (mp3 runs 3 and a half minutes) of Culver answering a question on this topic, then answering a follow-up question about whether the lieutenant governor's tour of cropland today is diverting resources from the flood fight.  Obama canceled a June 11 appearance in Cedar Rapids due to flooding. 

UPDATE II at 3:15 p.m. central:  the mayor of Columbus Junction is on FOX News as I type defending McCain's trip.

Braley, Culver make appearls to Bush before visit

As you may know, President Bush is due here tomorrow (Thursday, June 19, 2008) to visit flood-damaged areas of eastern Iowa.  Yesterday, Senator Tom Harkin had some nice things to say about the way the Bush Administration was handling the disaster.

Three Democrats -- Governor Chet Culver, Congressman Dave Loebsack and Congresman Bruce Braley of Waterloo -- have issued statements in advance, as has Republican Congressman Steve King of Kiron.  Read all the news releases, pasted below.

UPDATE:  Iowa's two U.S. senators just issued a joint statement, which is below as well.

Obama chats with Culver about calamity of flooding

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama talked with reporters on his press plane today about the flooding in Iowa.  Here is a transcript of Obama's remarks: "Yes I actually had a conversation with Chet Culver, uh, right after our college education event and I think it’s important for us to understand the size and the magnitude of this disaster. It was a slow rolling disaster, it didn’t have the drama of a major hurricane but, and thank goodness that we didn’t see significant casualties, but in terms of the economic losses in that state and the prospects of rebuilding, it is mind boggling. You’ve got the second largest city in Iowa that is gonna be under water for at least another 4, 5 days. You have 3 million acres of corn that are effectively destroyed, losses are going to be in the tens of billions of dollars potentially and, we’re not done. Part of the reason that I wanted to contact Gov. Culver is because we’re gonna be seeing problems spill over as the Mississippi rises, it's about to crest. I was in Quincy, I think you joined me this weekend, to fill some sand bags and get an assessment of what’s going on there. Burlington along the Mississippi River, some of the river towns in Missouri are all gonna be impacted by this and so I just wanted to assure Gov. Culver that we’re gonna do everything we can to get aid there rapidly. I’m glad to hear that the president is gonna be going there on Thursday but we’re gonna make sure that the resources are there in a sustained way to rebuild and to help the families that have been displaced.

Bush spoke about the flooding earlier today.  A transcript of Bush's remarks is at the bottom of this Radio Iowa story.  Here's the key, closing paragraph from Bush: "This Thursday I'm going to take our team down there to meet with the folks in Iowa. And I, unfortunately, have been to too many disasters as President. But one thing I've always learned is that the American citizen can overcome these disasters. And life, while it may seem dim at this point in time, can always be better because of the resiliency and care of our citizens."

Food for thought

There's been a lot of talk about "hope" in this election cycle. (I won't refer to it as an election "year" since it's longer than 12 months.)  A recent church newsletter delivered to my mailbox included a small excerpt from the book titled My God and I: A Spiritual Memoir by Lewis B. Smedes. I share the excerpt below, perhaps to provide some perspective on the Obama campaign's focus on the word "hope" and the campaign slogan in which the word "believe" is emphasized.

"...as I have grown old, my feelings about God have tapered down to gratitude and hope.  Gratitude is the pleasure of hope come true.  Hope is the pain of gratitude postponed. 

"Gratitude comes easy, on its own steam, where we know that someone has given us a real gift.  Hope comes harder, sometimes with our backs against the wall, laden with doubts that what we hope for will ever come.

"Gratitude always feels good, as close to joy as any feeling can get.  Hope can be unbearable, when we passionately long for what we do not have...we are restless as a farmer waiting for rain after an August without a drop."

Smedes finished the book shortly before his death in 2002.  Another Smedes book, Forgive and Forget, has sold over a million copies.

Governor moves to honor Eagle Grove Scout

Governor Chet Culver's office sent out the following news release today:

DES MOINES- Today, Governor Chet Culver announced the “Aaron Eilerts Day of Service and Giving,” to be held annually in memory of Aaron Eilerts. Eilerts, of Eagle Grove, died on Wednesday, June 11th, as a result of the Monona County tornado, at Camp Little Sioux.

The first statewide “Day of Service and Giving” will take place on February 24, 2009, Eilerts’ 15th birthday. Community organizations are invited to establish local service projects in Aaron’s name.

Governor Culver said: “Aaron Eilerts lived his life as a model for all Iowans. His dedication to his family, the Boy Scouts, and his community, is something all Iowans, and especially our young people, can continue to learn from. My heart goes out to his parents, Bob and Carol, and all who knew and loved Aaron.”

For more information about the life of Aaron Eilerts, please visit the “Aaron Eilerts Memorial” website at: http://aaroneilerts.blogspot.com.

Obama hires former Edwards aide

Jen O'Malley Dillon, Iowa state director for John Edwards' presidential campaign, has been hired as "battleground states director" for Barack Obama's campaign.  O'Malley Dillon is married to Patrick Dillon, Governor Chet Culver's chief of staff.

Obama makes appeal for flood victims

The campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has been financially fueled by a large group of on-line supporters who've been "small donors" -- $5, $10, $20 checks that have added up to previously unseen levels of campaign cash.

This morning, Obama's campaign sent a mass email to what campaign spokesman Tommy Vietor refers to as their "Midwest list."  Read it after the jump.  Perhaps there'll be a "flood" of donations from Obama nation?

Vilsack's going to Harvard

Des Moines Register columnist David Yepsen just completed a fellowship at Harvard University's Institute of Politics. Now former Governor Tom Vilsack will be a "resident fellow."  Read the news release after the jump.

Father's Day, 2008

"Happy Father's Day to all of the fathers across the state of Iowa.  We appreciate the fact that we have so many heroes that continue to work on the frontlines across our state to fend off the racing water, including a lot of fathers out there who are pitching in and doing their fair share," Governor Chet Culver, father of two, said to open a news conference this afternoon in Johnston, Iowa.

Fathers and fatherhood have been an especially poignant topic for many on this Father's Day with the death of NBC newsman Tim Russert who wrote a book about his relationship with his father.  For the past 14 years I have tried to avoid Father's Day  My dad, Guy Porter Henderson, died just before Thanksgiving in 1994.  When June rolled around in 1995, I could hardly listen to commercials on television for weeks in advance, as for the first time I noticed how many "Father's Day Sales" there were.  I also avoided the card aisles in the stores in which I shopped.

Today, though, I crawled up on a stepladder in a closet to retrieve a box that's been sitting on top of my cowboy hat box for the past 14 years. It's a box filled with the letters my dad wrote to me, starting in college.  The last letter he wrote to me, at the end of October, 1995, was there on top.