Don't Judge Me

Once again, the elitists of this state don't like having power in the hands of the people.

Iowa Supreme Court Justice Wiggins (sounds like a Carol Burnett sketch and the scientific community is united in that fact) authored a letter campaigning for his job as he bemoaned political campaigning.

Judges in Iowa are allowed to form campaign committees and raise money, but they'd rather do it subtly using state funds for a Iowa Voters Judicial Directory or by traveling the state on the taxpayers nickel.

The Iowa State Bar Association (ISBA) put out a video listing the criteria that voters should look for in a judge or justice.

Lawyers lawyering up for Lawyers.

The ISBA didn't feel a need to educate voters when most voters didn't vote on judges and those judges easily retained the peoples seats.

The issue of money, some out of state, in the judicial campaign process has been raised again.

Incoming Iowa State Bar Association President Guy Cook calls money and politics a “cancer that will kill the system”, yet the ISBA charges a membership fee and has out of state members.

Keep in mind, it's the ISBA who rates judges for retention.

The CEO of a major Iowa employer was critical of outside interests and their spending in Iowa, yet this CEO is okay with his company doing national and international business.

This CEO also lectured Iowans that removing judges on the basis of one decision was not what Iowans intended when they amended the state’s constitution in 1962.

The Iowa Constitution  --

Terms — judicial elections.  SEC. 17.  Members of all courts shall have such tenure in office as may be fixed by law, but terms of supreme court judges shall be not less than eight years and terms of district court judges shall be not less than six years.  Judges shall serve for one year after appointment and until the first day of January following the next judicial election after the expiration of such year.  They shall at such judicial election stand for retention in office on a separate ballot which shall submit the question of whether such judge shall be retained in office for the tenure prescribed for such office and when such tenure is a term of years, on their request, they shall, at the judicial election next before the end of each term, stand again for retention on such ballot.  Present supreme court and district court judges, at the expiration of their respective terms, may be retained in office in like manner for the tenure prescribed for such office.  The general assembly shall prescribe the time for holding judicial elections.

It states they MAY BE RETAINED IN OFFICE, it doesn't say they're guaranteed retention and it doesn't spell out any criteria for voting yes or no.

As I stated two years ago --

For me this has never been about one ruling, I've been voting NO on judges since I first voted in 1976.

Most judges I've encountered come across as pompous asses who believe they are the law, or above the law.

For me it is part of the checks of the system and utilizing the no retention may keep the scales of justice balanced and the judges centered in reality. 

Wedding Bell Blues?

Iowa Republicans for Freedom (IaRFF) held a press conference yesterday that looked like it had more press than people, especially one Ragister reporter (?) who was way too close for comfort and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Jeff Angelo is the esteemed leader of the group(?) who's goal is to build conservative support for same-sex marriage in Iowa.

Supporting IaRFF, out of the chute, are One Iowa, the state’s largest gay and lesbian rights organization and Ames Dummycrat State Senator Herman Quirmbach.

That doesn't have a very Republican, or very Conservative feel to it.

Angelo said --"this debate really centers around one idea: whether government has the right to say whom a person should love and marry."

Government doesn't tell you who you SHOULD marry, but it still tells you who you SHALL NOT marry.

It's illegal to marry for the sole purpose of citizenship.

Bigamy and Polygamy remain illegal.

Marriage among immediate family is forbidden.

We don't allow children to marry each other (Dragging The Line), or an adult to marry a child under a certain age.

Angelo continued -- "As a proud conservative, I believe in smaller, limited government, and that government should have no more of a right to say whom I can marry than they should be able to tell my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters whom they can marry.”

I'm confused, Why is this an issue in Iowa?

The government, in the entity of the Iowa Supreme Court, ruled in 2009 on gay marriage.

Is Angelo wanting to marry his gay brothers and sisters?

Or does he not support the Court's decision?

Will IaRFF support Bigamy? Polygamy? Incest? Bestiality?

Irony?

Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and Justice Mark Cady dissenting in a public policy case as something for lawmakers, not judges, to decide.

Keith Olbermann donating to three Dummycrats campaigns 3 weeks to the day after lambasting Fox News for going beyond having a point of view and actually starts to shill for partisan causes and actually starts to donate to partisan groups of one party.

The Ragister, the ousted Iowa Supreme Court justices, Fair Courts for Us, One Iowa and Drake University Law School Dean Allan Vestal decrying out of state money that opposed retention, but not once complaining about the out of state money that came in from Nebraska, Minnesota, Washington D.C., Missouri, California, South Dakota, Virginia, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Washington, Colorado, Michigan and Illinois in support of retention.

AARP supported Obamacare, now it is raising employee insurance premiums and changing copayments and deductibles to avoid a 40 percent tax on high-cost health plans that takes effect in 2018 under the law.

Elizabeth Matus writing of her love of the state of Iowa and the Midwest and her pride in the University of Iowa and Iowa State, all while attending Stanford University in California.

Constant anti-war protester Christine Gaunt, who proclaims herself a vegan, but raises hogs on a family farm.











And the scientific community is united in that fact.

Justice?

Justice is supposed to be blind, I never knew it was supposed to be anonymous and ignorant too.

A 17-year-old girl who struck and killed a motorcyclist during a hit-and-run crash last year in Des Moines "made a series of poor decisions" but she should not be prosecuted as an adult, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday.

The case involves Esther Chisala and her "series of poor decisions" that started, just days before her 18th birthday, when she bought the car without her (mother's) permission and then disobeyed her mother who had begged her daughter not to drive it.

Chisala ran away from home after being instructed not to drive the car and she drove without having a driver's license and without buying any insurance.

Chisala's next "series of poor decisions" occurred while she was "going too fast and hit (a van belonging to Iowa Homeless Youth Services) and was trying to get away."

Chisala's successive "series of poor decisions" proved fatal to James Miller, as Chisala ran a red light and hit the gentleman on the motorcycle.

From there Chisala's "series of poor decisions" included leaving the scene of the second accident she caused and proceeding to "...hit a light pole about a half block up the road. Hit a light pole, spun sideways and" get "out of her car and started to walk away."

It was only through the interjection of two citizens, honored this month at an annual Crime Fighter Banquet, that Chisala was detained and escorted back to the scene of one of her "series of poor decisions".

One month after all of this came another in a "series of poor decisions" courtesy of District Judge Carol Egly, who decided Chisala should not be tried as an adult.

On appeal of that ruling is how the Iowa Supreme Court became involved.

In their anonymous (unsigned) decision the Supreme Court stated...

"At the time of the accident, Chisala had no prior involvement with the court system".

"Although she had some previous problems at school, there had been no 'office referrals' for three years, and she was on schedule to graduate from high school."

Really?

Then why would the then vice principal at Scavo Campus (an alternative high school in Des Moines) say Chisala, "was enrolled at Scavo last school year (2007), but attended classes through Future Pathways, a program that helps students recover credits. She was classified as a senior last year, but didn't graduate, he said. Chisala had not yet registered for classes this school year. (2008).

The Supreme Court ruling cited testimony of a school counselor who described Chisala as a model student with no behavioral problems and good attendance.

Reads like somebody's lying to me!

My snarky side thinks Marsha Ternus had a huge hand in this and wants to remain anonymous because of the recent events involving her child.

For all intents and purpose Esther Chisela was an adult, she bought a car and enlisted in the Iowa National Guard the day before her accidents.

The Iowa Supreme Court knew this, Chisela should be tried as an adult and punished as one.

For the Iowa Supreme Court, this is another in a "series of poor decisions" and the scientific community is united in that fact.

James Miller could not be reached for comment.

Its only make believe

Iowa was greeted by this headline from the Ragister...

Report: Illegal workers no burden

The report cited comes from the Iowa Policy Project.

According to O.P.P., err I.P.P.

undocumented workers pay nearly as much in taxes as citizens in Iowa, but they receive fewer government services in return.

Really?

Based on what?

Its an ESTIMATE based on two HYPOTHETICAL Iowa families, one legal and one illegal.

The researchers found that the undocumented family would pay about $1,671 in taxes - $1,254 in sales and excise taxes, $110 in property taxes (as part of their rent) and $307 in state income taxes. That's about 80 percent of the amount paid by an Iowa family with the same income.

You can't count paying rent as paying property taxes!

One of the people who produced the study then makes the the gigantic leap that...

If illegal immigrants are working with false Social Security numbers, they pay federal Social Security and Medicare taxes. It is possible for people with fraudulent documents to apply for state programs, but they are unlikely to do so for fear of getting caught.

Because their such law abiding citizens? Yeah sure!

I.P.P. says on its web site...

"Providing fact-based analysis to engage Iowans in an informed discussion of public policy..."

Estimates and Hypotheticals are not fact based and the scientific community is united in that fact.

I.P.P. is nothing more than a Fiberal front led by social activist David Osterberg.

BTW...In 2002, Osterberg and four colleagues toured Northern Europe on solar powered bicycles to bring attention to global climate change and explore renewable energy methods in other countries.

Solar Powered Bicycles?

The pedal kind were contributing to "Gore-bull" warming?

I Just Want To Celebrate

The news is full of Earth Day activities, most of which don't take place on this day.

Friday Central Iowa held a Trash Bash and it was a good thing that the sun was shining on that day because rain would delay it 3 days.

There's some commitment to Mother Earth for you and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Valley Junction is holding Earth Day in the Junction 5K Run Walk, be sure to click for driving directions.


Eastern Iowa chose to kick off their Earth Week Fair yesterday, with three special workshops appropriate for adults, children, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

That's an interesting breakdown.

One of the workshops is called “Get Geocaching!” and geocaching expert John Morgan gave the basics of the treasure-hunting game that’s played using GPS devices.

It looks like cars are required as simple caches are often called "drive-bys," or "park 'n grabs".

Another workshop was “What on Earth? Climate Change & Severe Weather Safety”.

This premise is completely wrong as “There is medium evidence and high agreement that long-term trends in normalized [property] losses have not been attributed to natural or anthropogenic climate change.” 

The Big Lug Nut was brought back into the news with a story on one of his pet projects, the Iowa Power Fund.

The BLN  called the program to support renewable energy research and development a resounding success by pointing to an algae production plant.

Algae? Isn't that President Obama's fuel of the future?

According to the BLN, the $4 million from the fund will grow substitutes for fish oil and proteins for feedstock.

Where's the power come into being?

Other Power Fund highlights(?) include, One company accidentally wasted most of its $1 million grant ordering equipment from an out-of-state supplier that went bankrupt and $2.8 million was spent studying a proposal to store wind energy that was later determined not to be feasible.

Don't forget the $19,000 given to Consumer Energy to study a plug-in hybrid electric car owned by Consumer Energy.

Results of the nearly two years of study found the plug-in battery used in the vehicle does not work well in the cold.

At the Statehouse two state senators got into a heated discussion about climate change, with Dummycrat Rob Boss Hogg playing the part of Al Gore -- “‘Scientists, including those representing 28 Iowa colleges and universities who recently released a statement, have warned us that changes in global climate patterns are brining more extreme weather events to Iowa, the United States and our world.’”

To which Republican Senator David Johnson responded -- “I’m on the side of the scientists I served with in Antartica and Greenland and I’m the only member of this body that has done that. And there is no agreement in the scientific community, no consensus that things have really changed because change happens.”

Johnson schooled the lawyer, who earned a master's degree in energy policy from the Hubert Horatio Hornblower...Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs.

Speaking of schooling, second grade students at Sunset Heights Elementary School in Webster City, and their teacher, will be on a Shower Strike this week.

They're promising to not take a shower or a bath until we’ve raised a thousand dollars to help build a well for a school in Kenya.

Here's hoping the winds blow out of the South until then.

Miller Time

Most of all the major Iowa Dummycrats have gone public on the latest Sinclair vs. Mediacom dispute.

CONgressman Bruce Braley sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman to protect "my constituents and the public good."

Seriously?

CONgressman Dave No Sack...err Loebsack, Senator CommieTommie Harkin and Iowa City Mayor Regenia Bailey all wrote the FCC Chairman to do something.

Well stated!

It sounds like Harkin's theme on health care, "I'd rather get something done, even if it's imperfect."

Attorney General Tom Miller joined the fray urging FCC action because, "The loss of transmission of these networks on Jan. 1, 2010, will present an irreparable loss to Iowans...".

IRREPARABLE?

That's some high drama and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Iowans have known this was coming and can still take action to avoid the loss of a mere TV signal so they can watch the Hawkeyes in the Orange Bowl.

Mediacom doesn't carry the NFL Network, carrier of the Insight Bowl in which the Iowa State Cyclones are playing tonight, but a work around was found, WOI TV/5 will carry it, without government intervention.

This is not the first dust up between Sinclair and Mediacom, in January 2007 Iowa Dummycrats in the Legislature wanted to hold hearings on the dispute.

Back then the President of the Des Moines branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Linda Carter-Lewis cited the impact the dispute had on the poor.

Stating the absence of the Sinclair channels is hard on low-income Iowa subscribers in rural and urban areas. Minimal cable service, costing less than $20 a month is their best TV alternative.

Actually the best TV alternative then for the low-income was a one time purchase of rabbit ears, now it would be a one time purchase of a converter box.

Only two Iowa Dummycrats have yet to weigh in.

The Big Lug Nut, will be at the Orange Bowl "rooting them on" and CONgressman Leonard BOZO-well has yet to awaken from his long winters nap.

Relax

The drama queen's who are hyperventilating about the non retention of three Iowa Supreme Court justices is a bit much.

Will justices vote tarnish or help Iowa's image?

As the pro retention vote liked to remind everyone, it doesn't change the court's ruling on gay marriage.

I also enjoy how those so distraught over this vote are appalled that the justice's fate would be decided by one ruling.

These same people couldn't name any other ruling by the Iowa Supreme Court and most were probably not aware that Iowa has a Supreme Court.

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

I'm glad the Ragister ran an opinion piece from an Iowa attorney, Steve Waechter, who had no problem with the judge's ouster...

Vote shows political sophistication of Iowans

The voters of Iowa chose to exercise a check on the judiciary by removing some of its members, which was their right under our law.

The Wall Street Journal weighed in with...

Iowa's Total Recall
Voters give activist judges the boot. Lawyers are shocked

Maybe if judges behaved less like politicians, they'd have less reason to fear recall votes.

Far from a beacon of judicial independence, the three Iowa justices were fired because they put their own political preferences above their commitment to the law. If judges want to avoid recalls, they should leave social legislation to legislators.

OH, SHUT UP!

Fresh off making an ass of himself during the flooding, State Representative Wayne Ford is floating to the top again.

U Gotta Love It!

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

Racial makeup of fair's lineup criticized

Ford wants the number of minority acts increased at the Iowa State Fair.

"The Grant Wood image of Iowa has changed. That picture would have minorities in the background now, and the State Fair has been trying, but this year appears to be a setback."

What happened to "ONE IOWA" Wayne?

Is it fair to have a quota system for the Fair?

Per the Ragister, Vanessa Hudgens (pictured)& Corbin Bleu are minority headline acts.

The Crystals are the best known of the acts on the free stage.

Gary Slater, Iowa State Fair CEO, said...The color that's most important to the fair's lineup is green.

Best Biden Ever

It appears Joe Biden measured up(?) to Barack Obama's high standards.

Obama bypassed what I believed was the safe pick (Bayh Bayh Biden)and did go with someone who'll be a challenge.

I can only hope Joseph ROBINETTE Biden Jr. will spend a lot of time in Iowa, it's the scene of a few of Biden's Best and the scientific community is united in that fact.

In an Iowa debate, in his 1988 Presidential bid, Biden plagiarized Neil Kinnock almost word for word from a Kinnock TV commercial designed to evoke memories of the British class struggle.

Where Kinnock's coal-mining ancestors worked "eight hours underground," Biden's somewhat mythical forebears "would come up after twelve hours." Biden in the past had given credit to Kinnock, but in Iowa he introduced the fiery rhetoric by deceptively claiming, "I started thinking as I was coming over here . . ."

He was in Iowa, he would have been better off thinking of Nile Kinnick.

Last year, in Des Moines, Biden was on the money when he said...Americans must not vote for inexperienced, likeable presidential candidates, then hope the winner can get up to speed after the election.

While trying to tell kids at Des Moines East High that he would be "the education president unlike any president has in American history", Biden referred three times to Iowa's Junior Senator as Tom Harkins.

Biden and Harkin(s) have been in the Senate together for over 22 years.

Obama has been known to borrow words without attribution, maybe that's one reason he picked Biden.

Maybe he borrowed, from Biden, the pay grade statement last Saturday.

It will be interesting to see how they spin the CHANGE angle with someone who's been in the Senate since 1973 and dance around bad lobbyists when one of Biden's sons, Hunter, is a registered Washington lobbyist.

Talk to us Joe!

I've Gotta Be Me

Always One Of A Kind, Joe Biden was in a couple of Iowa cities yesterday.

Biden got out of the gaffe gate early when calling Scott Community College President Dr. Theresa Paper quote "Dr. Pepper".

I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper,
She's a Pepper, we're a Pepper,
Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?
Be a Pepper. Drink Dr Pepper.

BURP!

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

The Vice President also regurgitated some errors of fact while attacking Mitt Romney.

The press gave early snippets of what Biden was to say, in Davenport, before his arrival.

The Wall Street Journal wrote, and I’m quoting, ‘Romney appeared to scoff, first in Detroit, then in Florida, at the notion of manufacturing as a job engine for the future.’

So look folks, we have a choice in this election:

Between our philosophy that believes manufacturing is central to our economy, and their philosophy that scoffs at it.

Biden didn't give the whole picture from the Wall Street Journal, as Romney is then quoted...

"Last month, 5,000 people lost their jobs in manufacturing," Romney said at the Detroit appearance. "The president seems to be out of touch with what's happening in his own economy."

Hence the scoffing.

Back to Biden -- “Governor Romney has called the president ‘out of touch.’ That’s a quote. Out of touch for encouraging young people to try to get manufacturing jobs. Romney? Pretty remarkable. As an old friend of mine says, ‘That’s chutzpah.’”

While I think the 'out of touch' quote stands on its own when speaking of the President, the actual quote (above) was... "The president seems to be out of touch with what's happening in his own economy."

Here's more of Joe just being Joe --

As governor of Massachusetts, Romney repeatedly slashed funding for workforce training, and vetoed a bill to block state services to be outsourced overseas

In one case, a taxpayer-funded 800 number for the Massachusetts government was answered by workers on the other side of the world

The Washington Post's The Fact Checker had this to say about that claim when it was aired last year in a pro-Obama group ad --

“American Jobs Relocated.” This eye-popping claim is based on some pretty flimsy evidence. First, the group points to Romney’s 2004 veto of a bill that would have prohibited state contracts with companies that use overseas employees for the work. Romney, then governor of Massachusetts, argued at the time that the bill did not protect the state’s jobs but might actually cost money. Proponents of the bill had touted a union study claiming that $7 million was spent on contract work overseas

One has to wonder where Biden was one year later, while in the United States Senate, for the United States Workers Protection Act of 2005?

This act was sponsored by Dummycrat Senator Chris Dodd and would have, among other things, prohibited outsourced federal government work from being performed by a contractor or any subcontractor outside the United States and prohibit federal funds from being disbursed to a state until the Governor of the state has transmitted written certification that none of the funds will be spent for the performance of contracts outside the United States

The United States Workers Protection Act of 2005 received no Cosponsors and died.

Who else was in the United States Senate at the time?

Barack Obama!

Say it ain't so, Joe!

Biden continued -- It’s one thing for a local company to outsource a call service, but for the state government to outsource a call service that’s set up to answer questions for people in the state with a problem they had in their government, to outsource that?

Iowa sent nearly $1 Million dollars to an out of state firm, National Jewish Health in Colorado, to run it's quit smoking line.

I'll wager Biden's home state of Delaware does the same thing for its Quitline.

At the time Joe Biden was their Senator, Delaware's QuitPower was operated by a Minnesota-based company.

Drive?

Dave Price had a story on allowing parents to teach their children how to drive, using Iowa Department of Transportation approved instruction, instead of a certified instructor.

Objecting to the bill was Dummycrat Curt Hanson, a one time driver education instructor, citing bad habits drivers cling to such as the "9 & 10 position the steering wheel".

?

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

Price explained Hansen meant the 10 & 2 position that has changed to the 8 & 4 position because of airbags.

Some police departments stress the 9 & 3 position, as does The American Automobile Association (AAA).

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration doesn't back any one grip over another.

It almost felt like a turf issue, with the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) stating teens need a certified professional to train them.

If certified instructors are the only way to go, why did a U.S News & World Report article investigating national teen driving safety, Iowa ranks 49th out of 50 states and the District of Columbia.

In Iowa, teens (ages 14-19) have a higher fatality rate in motor vehicle crashes than any other age group.

Motor vehicle crashes are the cause of nearly half of all teen deaths in Iowa.

If parents can improve on those statistics, GREAT!

I believe getting, and maintaining, a driver's license needs to be more difficult for every age group.

I'm old enough to remember when people went for a drive to relax.

We Gotta Get You A Woman

Jean Lloyd-Jones, a Democratic former state senator from Iowa City and Maggie Tinsman, a Republican former state senator from Bettendorf are co-founders of 50-50 in 2020.

These two issued a press release urging both Republicans and Democrats to nominate women from their parties to fill vacancies that may open up in Congress, such as the seat currently occupied by CommieTommie Harkin.

In the release were 10 potential Iowa candidates: Des Moines attorney Roxanne Conlin, a Democrat; Iowa Economic Development Director Debi Durham, a Republican; Des Moines City Councilwoman Chris Hensley, a Republican; Iowa Senate President Pam Jochum, a Democrat; former Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, a Democrat; former U.S. Ambassador Mary Kramer, a Republican; former Lt Gov. Sally Pederson, a Democrat; current Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican; Iowa House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer, a Republican; and former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack, a Democrat.

Jean Lloyd-Jones said in the statement, “Since Iowa is one of four states which has never elected a woman to Congress, this seems like a good opportunity to rid ourselves of that dubious distinction.” 

Dubious are some of the ladies on your list and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Rozanne, err Taxanne Conlin is already a two time loser, Patty Judge folded early in the 2006 Dummycrat Governor primary and then teamed up with the Big Lug Nut, Chris Hensley can't get elected Mayor of Des Moines and Christie Vilsack just got her hat handed to her by Steve King.

Step outside in some arctic temperatures and chill.

The goal should be electing qualified women, not just quota women.

Legitimate Issue(s)

The Ragister has a story today about the new power couple in Iowa, the Appels.

Brent and Staci, pictured (small like all Dummycrats), are coming across as Clinton wannabes.

As I mentioned Friday (Iowa Values, Iowa Common Sense?), Brent has been appointed by the Pickle to the Iowa Supreme Court. His wife is running for the Iowa Senate.

Ms. Appel's opponent, Julian Garrett, is raising concerns over possible conflicts their relationship/careers could cause. He also believes that the district's representation would suffer.

The Senate Dummycrat leader, Mike Gronstal, tried to pooh-pooh it and make Garrett out to be sexist.

Today there was also a letter to the editor written with glowing remarks about Ms. Appel, the letter was signed by a financial contributor to her campaign.

I live in the Senate District, Iowa 37.

I do not personally know either candidate.

I have not contributed to Mr. Garrett's campaign, although I have already voted for him.

I sent Ms. Appel an e-mail last Saturday regarding this issue....

Why did I have to find out in today's paper about your husband? None of the literature you sent me, your newspaper ads, your TV commercial or your calls to my home have mentioned him. My wife thought you were a single mother raising four children by herself.

I ran for Iowa House, twice getting my clocked cleaned, when you introduce yourself as a candidate you include biographical information such as a spouse and children. She's let me know numerous times about her kids, never her husband. It comes across as something their trying to hide. Also, since he's a failed candidate it feels like he's playing puppetmaster.

I also asked her about her $3,000 in contributions to Hillary Rodham Clinton's two Senate runs.

I have yet to receive a response.

I'll give it 'til Saturday, one week, then I'm going on the attack with letters to the Ragister and the paper they own in District 37--the Indianola Old Weird Herald.

Another concern is the over $100,000 she has raised for her senate campaign.

It's a part time job! The seat only pays a little over $21,000.

Talk about overkill!

Son of a Breach

My worst fears came to fruition as a levee in the Birdland/Union Park area breached this morning.

Yeoman's efforts by City of Des Moines employees and Iowa National Guard to stop the Des Moines River at 2nd Avenue failed as a sand berm breached and water headed toward my Mother's home.

Neighbors who lived through the flood of 1993 said that the river stopped a couple blocks short of her residence then, but I'm not holding out any hope now.

She didn't need this on top of all the health problems, breast cancer and a heart attack, she's faced in the last couple of years.

You can't see much on television because you have the politicians hogging the camera.

It became a campaign commercial for Leonard BOZO-well.

Wayne Ford (who rewrote the Iowa State Motto to ONE IOWA) is a disgrace.

Hey Wayne when you're wearing a beret and you say you take your hat off, take it off.

Polk County Supervisor Angela Connolly telling everyone how wonderful they are.

There was a failure in the system and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Now is not the time to slap each other on the back.

I agree with Ed McAtee who has a letter in today's Ragister...

Some of the "bigwigs" also came out to observe the efforts - Sens. Tom Harkin and Charles Grassley and Mayor Frank Cownie to name a few. There they were for their photo op, in pressed white shirts, polished shoes, looking real nice for the cameras. Why weren't they helping? Or at least looking like they were ready to help?

Breach photo is from The Des Moines Register.

The Sky Is Falling

My first thought after seeing this article, Panel to discuss retention vote's effect on judiciary, is that will be a balanced discussion and the scientific community is united in that fact.

The panel will consist of Iowa Supreme Court Justice David Wiggins; Drake University Law School Assistant Professor Ian Bartrum; Troy Price, the political director of the state gay rights group One Iowa; and Ben Stone, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa.

Digging a little further you'll find that the sponsor, The American Constitution Society, describes itself as a liberal progressive legal organization.

Can't wait to read the “intellectual capital” that comes from these Turkey Lurkey's.

The Out Of Towners?

Both sides of the gay marriage issue held rallies in Des Moines yesterday.

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) rolled through on its nationwide tour and it was pointed out by One Iowa (OI?) that NOM is an out of state entity.

OI Executive Director Carolyn Jenison spoke against “out-of-state extremist organizations" trying to "hijack our political process and demean our families.”

Odd, and the scientific community is united in that fact, since only 815 of the 2,020 same-sex couples married in Iowa are from this state.

Also, it was a Chicago-based lawyer for the gay rights group Lambda Legal who filed the case for six gay couples that lead to the Iowa Supreme Court ruling and money from rich out of state gay activists have found their way into Dummycrat coffers.

As usual the press can't agree on the number in attendance, with the Cedar Rapids Gazette ciphering a crowd of nearly 300 for the OI event, the Ragister putting it at half that -- about 150, WHO HD figure it at about 250 people.

The differences at the NOM event range from the Ragisters about 50, WHO HD had about 75 to nearly 100 from the Gazette, KCCI called it at more than 100.

Poor Poor Pitiful Me

The Pickle pouts on IPTV's "Iowa Press", airing tomorrow and Sunday.

"I don't want to sound like sour grapes, but you should not pay attention to early polls."

Oh poor poor me, oh poor pitiful me!

"Iowa polls are not accurate in terms of caucus support."

Woe is me!

"We were absolutely convinced, and I remain convinced and will as long as I live, that I would have won the Iowa caucuses based on the information that we had that is legitimate."

Des Moines pollster Ann Selzer said...."not all polls are bad."

"I've seen several polls in Iowa with decent sampling, and not one says Tom Vilsack had a good shot to take Iowa on caucus night."

Vilsack lied, the Iowa caucuses could have died!
The Pickle's problem was money related alright.

He'd been in government so long that he spent like a drunken sailor, allegedly burning though $500,000 a month.

7 campaign offices in his "home" state!

Campaign swings to New Hampshire, Pittsburgh, Nevada and South Carolina.

If he had a decent strategery, and more than 1,159 supporters at home, he could have ridden "BIG MO" to New Hampshire and beyond...HYAH!

Brilliant!!

That or "Yarr, Genius" are two things my wife and I say when we come across something REALLY stupid. Leonard BOZO-well, a 72 year old man, on myspace is REALLY stupid!


http://www.myspace.com/leonardboswell

Myspace is a social network geared more for the younger, 25 and under, crowd. BOZO-well is
pushing his re-election on the site. I would think he'd have to list it as an inkind contribution, for his campaign disclosure, because it's a free site. His opponent, Jeff Lamberti doesn't have a listing. BOZO-well panders to the crowd with....Who I'd like to meet:

Everyone living in the great 3rd district of Iowa who will join the fight to get results for everyday folks, keep us safe from terrorism and make a commitment to the things we value: better schools, better safety, better jobs and better health.

Then there's a listing of his "Friends" all 565 as of this writing. These geeks post pictures to represent themselves and their user names too. Here's a few I found unique, as posted by themselves:

BrokenJoshua

"The broken one has arrived" Male 27 years old Des Moines, Iowa United States

ha ha. fuck you.

"i never made a scene. they came to me." Female 20 years old urbandale, IOWA United States

Bullshit Buffet

"totally" Male 19 years old Des Moines, IOWA United States

Punk Ass Princess

Female 29 years old Des Moines, Iowa United States

Locally Famous

"live for everything die for nothing R.I.P Tookie" Male 19 years old Des Moines, IOWA United States

It's obviously only a sampling. Maybe it's just me, but if I were a sitting congressman in a tough re-election fight, I wouldn't want these as my campaign "friends". I sure wouldn't want the media to find out either!

Sweating With An Oldie

The second Iowa gubernatorial debate started with Terry Branstad walking nearly all the way to Chet Culver's podium to shake hands.

I thought that was a nice effort to probably keep the Big Lug Nut from breaking into Sweaty Chetty.

Epic Fail and the scientific community is united in that fact.

I found myself distracted by the number of times Culver had to fling his facial fluid from his nose and brow.

I'm not alone --The governor’s physical appearance weakened his presentation, according to Steffen Schmidt, a political science professor at Iowa State.

“(He) looked sweaty and he was constantly touching his nose,” Schmidt said. “If you watched the debate, it was pretty clear Branstad was the winner.”

There was no Brain Suck moment for Culver, but it was odd during the Arizona immigration law question, that Culver claimed "Illegal is Illegal" and then criticized Branstad for wanting to fill up the jails with detained illegals.

Branstad scored when he said only 34% of flood money that has been allocated has reached businesses.

Culver tried to claim that it took Branstad 12 years to close the books on the 1993 flood.

Twelve years would be 2005 and almost to the end of the second term of The Pickle, Governor Vilsack.

Culver became annoying by wanting to go back several times to answer previous questions, on unemployment and preschool, when the debate had moved on to the next question.

At one point the crowd turned on him when he tried to go back to Terry Branstad not rebutting the preschool question.

Numerous times Culver tried to circumvent the format by wanting rebuttal time after he'd had a rebuttal.

I'm not sure why he just didn't use time from the next question to revisit the previous question, like he'd been doing.

I thought Terry Branstad scored when he highlighted how free preschool for all had actually hurt K-12 and College education, especially in lieu of Culver's 10% budget cuts.

Branstad hit a home run here when he said -- “Now we now know what I-JOBS is, It’s Illinois jobs”.

Somebody's been reading our blog (I-JOBS).

Branstad further drilled the point home when he mentioned the people from Illinois that marched with Culver at the University of Iowa Homecoming parade.

Culver lamely turned it into having support from all over including his sister here from New York.

Must be here to help him pack up Terrace Hill.

Is part of Culver bringing IBM, Google and Microsoft to Iowa include constant name dropping?

They must have required numerous free plugs.

Culver has also increased the total number of jobs created by 5,000 in one month, from the first debate figure of 16,000, to 21,000.

Culver continues to be no mathlete when he criticized Indiana as having unemployment at 50% above the U.S. average.

Indiana's August rate was 10.2%, during the same time period the U.S. rate was 9.6%.

I loved Branstad's shot at Staci Appel-sauce for brains and her Supreme Court sitting husband, Brent, when Branstad mentioned how partisan the judicial nominating process has become.

In his closing remarks, it sounded like Culver was claiming Branstad was Governor in the 1920s and I know during the debate I heard Culver call his opponent Blanstad.

Lastly, I felt sorry for the people that had to shake the hand Culver used to mop the flop sweat after the debate was over.