Iowa Democratic Party Annual Jefferson/Jackson Dinner 10-16-10

The event started momentously with fire alarm that was triggered by steam from a dishwasher.





After we finally got back in and everyone seated they went through introducing all the State wide candidates, all the leaders of legislature,  all the congressional candidates and finally the top of ticket and the guests.  Tom Vilsack and Gov Rendell introduced.
The girls safety squad led the Pledge of Allegiance and the Des Moines Gay Men's Choir sang the Anthem.  Benediction given. 

Sue Devorsky: we are cleaning up the mess the Republican made and they stood in our way on everything we tried to do. 

Cong Bruce Braley

Congressman Bruce Braley:  In 2006 we gave them hope in 2008 we gave them change and in 2010 we are going to give them Hell. We are at our best when we are fighting for people.  We passed first bill Obama signed giving women equal pay.

Dave Loebsack

Dave Loebsack.  We are not going to go into reverse.  We are not going to let them take it back.  He is very proud of what he did for military in Iraq and Afgan.  He cannot believe Supreme court let corp. pump unlimited money into campaign.  Lets go forward not backwards.

Cong Leonard Boswell

Cong Leonard Boswell  I'm not going to kick this can down the road.  We took a lot of risks and we are not going back.  We are going to close the doughnut hole. 



Roxanne Conlin



Senate Candidate Roxanne Conlin:  WE need to retire Grassley he needs a rest.  Today deficit 1.3 trillion same as when we took over.  Our sacred promise to our veterans.  Return to our lead position in the world in Education.  The corporations haven't even tried to give me money.  WE need to stand up,,,, ad a long list.  Our tax dollars should buy American.  I represented a raped teenager and a teen that was forced to have sex by her father for three years.  Grassley would force them to have a baby if they became pregnant.  I am proudly pro-choice.  No No No to secret contributions.

Sen. Tom Harkin

Sen Tom Harkin.  I can;t wait to have Conlin with me.  I enjoy having my three cong caucus with me in Washington.  THEY (THE Republicans) ARE NOT HIDING THE PLATFORM.  you CAN READ IT JUST HOLD YOUR NOSE.  Steve King is demanding Republicans to sign blood oath to shut down govt in Washington if they cannot repeal Health Care.  They say vote out the Dem's because they have not gotten us out of Bush;s debt and recession fast enough.  When emotions are high intelligence is low.  Of course he talked about he greatest accomplishment.  The Americans with Disabilities Act.  After 29 years I see a change.  people with disabilities taking a part in life with their families. 

Lt Gov Patty Judge

Lt Gov Patty Judge.  I have not seen Kim Reynolds.  I was ready to go and Branstead jumped out in front of her and didn't let her do it.  I love Chet but no-one tells me when to talk or not talk.  I told her I would come to her to debate.  i couldn't find her anywhere.  You keep showing up when we ask.  We know you will keep showing up for the next 17 days.  1st state in Nation to pass all 10 recommendations of DOD since 9/11.  They are still fighting for us and we will fight for them. 

Gov Chet Culver.

Chet Culver:  His 14th event this week.  We one last time and we will win this time.  Iowa third best run state in American.  When Branstead was Gov he had rank of third worse run state in Country.  Branstead will cut Government by 15% but will not offer where.  The budget will not necessarily be smaller.  Another broken promise.  He promised 300,000 new jobs his last term.  He was 240,000 jobs short during Clinton's job boom.  The first bill he signed was raising taxes and then did it 53 times more despite saying he would not raise taxes/.  His 15% cut would be a 500M dollar cut in education.  Public safety would be cut 67 million.  This boils down to everything you learned in third grade math.  Addition subtraction and division.  I want more research, more health care.  He would take away health care and decrease hawkey level of eligibility.   He wants to fight Roe v Way.  He wants to put ban back in place for embryonic stem cell research. 

Gov.Ed Rendell

Gov Ed Rendell: Tom Harkin will go down in History as one of the greatest Senators ever.  He thinks Tom running for re-election.  Chet Culver has done a good job and deserves to be re-elected.  One of the worst ideas is cutting pre-K in Iowa.  Every dollar we spend on Pre-K we save 6-7 dollars.  Dumb and Dumber.  Therte is good Government spending and bad Government spending.  They tried to stop our most successful programs time after time salling them socialism and they were wrong then and are wrong now.  We have to follow ourPresident.  The republican party are increasingly being influenced by people who are absolutely nuts.

Maria Muldaur Farm Concert for Francis Thicke (D) SCTY AG Candidate.

Maria Muldaur

Maria Muldaur performed today for Francis Thicke campaign for Iowa Secretary of AG at the Des Moinesw Social Club.

I inteviewed him before the concert (see at bottom of this blog).  He performed with Maria and here are two short clips of that performance.








I inteviewed him before the concert and will be posting the inteview later today or tomorrow.  He basicly is concerned about the loss of the small farmer and the over importance of large corparate farms.  While he is not against tillage farming he is for trying to get greater part of the year with ground coverage.  Going from at most 4 months coverage to as he called it perenial coverage(though that doesn't  quite make sense) I think he means 8-12 months coverage.  Overall I found him very knowledgable about farming and agriculture.  I is very progressive but main stream from what I learned at the World Food Prize Conference this past week

I was told by his campaign manager that they have polling just finnished yesterdaythat has them within 3 points.  Which considering that the governors race has a ten point margin that is very good, if it can be trusted.  Unfortunately there were only 20 people at the event. 





This took place immediately before the Jeferson Jackson Dinner which is Iowa Democrats annual large fund raiser. This yearKeynote Speaker Gov. Ed Rendell.