Essential Estrogen

I had planned on attending the Heartland Presidential Forum in Des Moines today, but the weather didn't cooperate. We began heading west on I-80 only to hit a solid sheet of ice. Still, we continued to truck along until we saw a van that appeared to have flipped off the top of an overpass and into the interstate median. It looked bad and was enough to scare us into taking the next exit.

We were just able to get checked into a hotel room and found the Heartland event on CSPAN's Road to the White House.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards came out first and, judging by his last two answers, he appeared to have done a good job. He hit on his two Americas theme, and most of the questions seemed to fit directly into his stump speech.

Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich is on stage now. A Latino woman from Marshalltown is asking a question -- she appears to be incredibly emotional -- that relates to the recent immigration raids in the community.

A woman named Marvie Chapman from the Mississippi Poultry Project in Lake, Miss. She works at Tyson and wants to talk about labor concerns.

Kucinich shows her his watch -- her Lady of Guadaloupe -- and then proceeds to answer her question in both Spanish and English. He says he wants to end NAFTA and get out of the WTO. "We give those who come to this country a path to legalization," he said.

The audience is responding to him extremely positively -- lots of cheering and applause.

Following a question by a Korean woman, Kucinich is now offering his labor stump speech. He is extremely passionate as he shouts that NAFTA must be repealed, that workers must be allowed to organize and that health care should be public -- Kucinich is the only of the Democratic candidates who has a fully public health care plan.

Vern Tigges of Carroll is asking a question on behalf of Iowan Citizens for Community Improvement. He wants to know about hog lots -- about air quality. Deborah Kathleen Thomas follows Tigges. She is a part of the Powder River Basin Resource Council in Colorado and continues to pound home the environmental impacts of various corporations. She wants to know how Kucinich would stop the political interests of corporations.

"Why do we permit the oil companies to have federal land anyway?" asks Kucinich. "We have to move our economy away from reliance on oil, coal and nuclear."

"We have a right to demand that our government represents us and upholds the Constitution," he said.

When Edwards was on earlier, he was asked if he'd meet with the community leaders in the first 100 days of his term as president. Edwards responded that he'd do it in the first week. Kucinich was just asked the same question and he responded that they should all just come into the White House and sleep in the Lincoln bedroom.

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is on a satellite up-link. It seems the weather has prevented her from traveling into Des Moines for the event.

Barb Kolbach, a board member for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, is providing the opening statement about the forum -- just as she has done for all of the candidates thus far.

I now understand a little bit more about the format. In each question period, you have two community activists. The first activist tells a story and the second asks a question.

Patricia Divine Wilder of Walla Walla, Washington and representing Washington Community Action Network. She tells the story of a family member who could not afford insurance and was diagnosed with cancer and died quickly afterward. It is very emotional moment for the questioner and many in the audience.

Debra Greenwood of Atlanta's Gamaliel Foundation continues to discuss Americans not having health care.

"I am proposing a universal health care plan," Clinton said. "I don't want to leave any American out." She said that if you have health insurance that you like, you don't have to switch. Otherwise she plans to open up the Congressional health care plan to the public.

Bret McFarland, a member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and a physician at a Polk County hospital, says he finds Clinton's plan flawed because of the private-public mix. "Why further reward the greed of private insurance with more monies?" he asks.

"My plan provides for a public option to compete with private insurance," she said. She added that her plan regulates the private insurance companies. "I've been working on this for more than 25 years," she said.

As the doctor finished his question, the audience erupted... very positive toward the doctor and his question.

New Mexico resident Mayte Rodriquez of Somos un Pueblo Unido said she was brought to the United States when she was very young by her single mother. "We have a broken immigration system," she said. Mayte said she graduated in the top 10 percent of her class and holds two associate degrees. She said she will soon have her bachelor's degree and she wants to teach. She wants to know why her family -- a family who now calls this nation home, despite them being in different stages of immigration -- and her community cannot integrate. She says their success will be this nation's success.

Larry Ginter of Rhodes, another member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, adds family farming to the immigration question -- "we've got to quit treating immigrants like common criminals," he said. "Is it time to rethink our immigration policy?"

Clinton calls for comprehensive immigration reform that protects our borders. She says employers should not be able to exploit people.

Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refuge Rights member Billy Lawless wants to know if Clinton is willing, in her first 100 days, to give immigrants a path to citizenship.

"I have been in favor in a path to citizenship for years," she said. "I have spoken out about it in Iowa and in the nation."

Lawless says, "What about the first 100 days?"

Clinton responds that Congress has to do the legislation... and is subsequently greeted with a grumbly "boo" from the audience. Another round of grumbling occurs as Clinton signs off.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd is up now.

Dodd hears from a black gentleman who discusses... with a bit of a ramble... community values. Finally the question comes to the front: Would you support community values?

"As a 22-year-old when I graduated from college, I was inspired by a president to join the Peace Corps," Dodd said. He adds that he knows that when people work together, they can make a difference. He also takes time to plug the Family and Medical Leave Act.

"This nation of ours has an obligation to not only provide that type of community values here but also abroad," he said.

Tam Tran of Los Angeles and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights. She tells the story of an immigration raid separating her from her family -- after she was raised as an American since she was six years old.

The question comes from Emira Palacios of Witchita, Kansas (Sunflower Community Action), who came to this country 22 years ago and is now a citizen. "How should a nation that values community treat others who are born elsewhere but are now woven into the fabric of America?" she asked.

"I"m a strong advocate of the Dream Act in a sense," he said. "That's the easy thing to say, but let me tell you what I've done." He goes on to discuss legislation he has proposed and passed to keep families together.

"We have to have secure borders," he said. "We have to deal with the security issues." Dodd is cut off as his time is up. He laughs and tells them he's still getting more time in this forum than he gets the other debates.

Veronica Dahlberg, director of HOLA Latino Organization, asks about six children who were taken and placed in foster care while the parents were put in jail. "This is the consequence of enforcing bad laws without reforming them," she said.

She wants to know if Dodd will over a path to citizenship in the first 100 days of his administration.

Dodd said he would. "I begin with the notion of being a welcoming people," he said. "I will make this a priority." He said that no one candidate or no one political party is going to get this accomplished. Dodd hops to his "results matter" stump speech and hits his Head Start legislation... audience reacts to him positively.

Second group of community leaders... Cary Martin, a practicing attorney from Chicago, who is a former homeless person. She is a member of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. She tells her personal story -- how she was given opportunities that helped her to be able to succeed.

The first question comes from Kenya Bradshaw of Concerned Memphians United of Memphis, Tennessee. "What will you do to ensure my generation is not forever burden by personal debt for basic needs -- education, housing, etc.?" (paraphrased)

Dodd goes off about the Bankruptcy Bill and says it was one of the worst pieces of legislation passed in the past 30 years. "You ought to never lose your home in a bankruptcy proceeding," he said.

Dodd takes a swipe at his opponents by saying that he likes the stump speeches he is hearing from the candidates today, but he wishes they were with him 20 years ago when he was fighting for the same things they are making speeches about now.

Matt Russell of Lamoni, part of Iowa Citizen Action Network, says that pulling yourself up by your bootstraps is a failed domestic policy.

"I invite people to go back and look at my record over the last quarter of a century on these issues," said Dodd. "I'm no johnny-come-lately on these issues."

When asked if he would meet with community leaders in first 100 days of office, Dodd said the community leaders wouldn't have to wait until after inauguration, that he'd meet with them in the week following the election.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is now on the stage and getting the introductory remarks from Tony Boatman -- "If elected will you ensure our nation lives up to its community values?"

"Absolutely," said Obama. He is now providing an overview of his life -- that he worked as a grassroots organizer in Chicago. "Important for us, as Americans, to know that we aren't in this on our own," he said.

The story Obama hears comes from Dedra Lewis of Springfield, Massachusetts. She speaks about her daughter, who suffers from a rare eye disorder, and how she lost her health insurance. The question comes from Martha Sanchez, president of Pilsen Neighbors Community Council in Chicago. "Are you willing to tell the American public that, in some ways, there is a need for more government?"

Obama beings by thanking Dedra and her daughter for sharing their story. "Government has a role to play in helping people live out their dreams," he said. This means health insurance -- not just in an emergency room -- it should be health insurance they can count on. He said the private sector is not enough.

Robin Ghormley of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement stresses that the gap between rich and poor must be closed. She wants to know how he will achieve that goal.

"We have lost balance in this country," he said. He says special interests have been driving the agenda for too long. "They will not work in my White House and they will not drown out the voices of the American people."

Obama said he will rollback the George W. Bush tax cuts and that he will close tax loopholes for companies who set up business outside of our nation. Obama is cut off when he runs out of time.

Barbara Anderson of Cleveland, Ohio -- Empowering and Strengthening Ohio's People -- also discusses what predatory lending has done to her neighborhood. "Will you put pressure on lenders to convert adjustable rate mortgages to fixed rate mortgages? What steps will you take to provide relief to the people with these mortgages?"

Obama says that he's going to "round them all up." He wants to bring everyone to the table to help those still in their homes keep them and those who have already lost find homes. The federal government, he said, needs to regulate this. He adds that he has sponsored legislation that will help deal with it.

When asked the 100 days question, Obama said he's going to be calling all the groups in to help shape the agenda for his administration.

The event -- at least as far as the presidential candidates are concerned -- has wrapped up. If we can find the Brown and Black forum on the boob tube tonight, we might check back in. Until then, and also in the morning, every please be safe. It's mighty slick out there.

Iowa politicos don't need holiday decorations on street light poles in order to know it's December.

Today, following a poll in the Des Moines Register that gave Illinois Sen. Barack Obama a six point up-swing to over take his competitors for the first time in the Democratic field, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton continued her earlier attacks on Obama's health care plan. This time, however, the New Yorker took it a step further by suggesting what goes around in politics comes around and, when questioned, that Iowa voters who pay attention might discover Obama has a character flaw.

"It's beginning to look a lot like that, when we can't get a straight answer on health care, where somebody runs on ethics and not taking money from certain people is found to have at least skirted if not violated [Federal Election Commission] rules and to use lobbyists and [Political Action Committee] money to do so," she said. "... I have said for months that I would much rather be attacking Republicans and attacking problems in our country."

"I have been for months on the receiving end of rather consistent attacks," she added, "well, now the fun part starts. We're into the last month and we're going to start drawing contrasts because I want every Iowan to have accurate information when they make their decisions."

Obama was quick to launch his own weapons in this battle of words via press release following the Cedar Rapids Clinton event: "This presidential campaign isn't about attacking people for fun, it's about solving people's problems, like ending the war and creating a universal health care system. Washington insiders might think throwing mud is fun, but the American people are looking for leadership that can unite this country around a common purpose, and that's what I'll continue to offer in this campaign."

Clinton had been scheduled to appear in Cedar Rapids to push a caucus "buddy" program, an effort to pair 20,000 Iowans to caucus for her. Just 30 minutes prior to the campaign stop, the Clinton campaign issued a press release that accused Obama of "rewriting history" when he said at his own campaign stop in the state that he had "not been planning to run for president for however number of years some of the other candidates have been planning for."

The release cites articles from four separate news organizations as proof that Obama has done the exact opposite -- including a news article that detailed the candidate's third grade essay entitled, "I Want to Be a President."

"Senator Obama's comment today is fundamentally at odds with what his teachers, family, classmates and staff have said about his plans to run for president," said Clinton spokesman Phil Singer. "Senator Obama's campaign rhetoric is getting in the way of his reality."

Obama's Iowa press spokesman, Tommy Vietor, struck back with sarcasm: "I'm sure tomorrow they'll attack him for being a flip-flopper because he told his second grade teacher he wanted to be an astronaut."

An earlier press release -- distributed at roughly 11:30 a.m. -- repeated a call by Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson on "Meet the Press" this morning that Obama shut down a PAC.

Wolfson faced off against Obama strategist David Axelrod on the news show this morning, saying: "There's a lot that voters don't know about Barack Obama. And one thing they don't know -- we found out this week -- is that he has been using and operating a so-called leadership PAC, in apparent contravention of campaign finance laws, taking in money from lobbyists despite the fact that he said he doesn't take money from lobbyists, taking in money from lobbyists and giving money out to candidates in New Hampshire and Iowa to support his presidential campaign. Senator Clinton does not have such a PAC."

Wolfson went on to describe the money as a "slush fund" and to call on the Senator to shut it down. The Clinton campaign has made the question available on YouTube.

Federal Election Commission law prevents a candidate's campaign from using leadership PAC monies to directly benefit the campaign. Clinton has charged that Obama's fund -- Hopefund -- has given 68 percent of its political donations to officials in early states.

The heated exchange between the two candidates came to a head late last week when the Clinton campaign strongly suggested that the Obama campaign remove its television ad in New Hampshire that focused on health care, stating that it was inaccurate.

"I am writing concerning a false advertisement you are currently airing, in which Sen. Obama claims that his health care plan would 'cover everyone,'" Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle wrote in a letter to David Plouffe, Obama campaign manager. "Your advertisement not only contradicts the judgment of health care experts, but public statements by your campaign and your candidate. Senator Obama has pledged to put 'honesty first' in this campaign. In that spirit I respectfully request that you stop running this ad which is misleading voters in New Hampshire."

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, judging by his public remarks, wanted to speak to audience members in Cedar Rapids about the economy, immigration and taxes. Audience members at the event, however, not only had questions about Romney's social conservative beliefs, but left the venue with mixed reactions to his answer.

"There was an article in our local newspaper this morning... that said 'GOP Pro-Choice Group Targets Romney,'" said a male questioner at the Nov. 30 event. "The article states that they are going to challenge you on what they call this flip-flop on abortion. I want to know, from you, how you are going to combat this type of smear tactic?"

Less than a second passed from the end of the question to Romney beginning his response.

"You know, it really is great that you can be defined by people attacking you in some respects and, you know, I guess they just can't get over the fact that somebody who was effectively pro-choice -- I've always personally opposed abortion, but I questioned what the role of government should be and said I'd protect the current law and that's a pro-choice position," Romney said. "When someone who is pro-choice becomes pro-life, the media and some people just can't get enough of it. You go the other direction and it is heralded like you've made some great and wonderful discovery. If you become firmly pro-life, people get all upset about it.

"My experience is pretty straight forward. It was all an interesting topic and I laid out my position, theoretical in some respects, until I became governor, and a bill came to my desk that would have allowed the creation of new embryos -- new life -- solely for the purpose of experimenting and destroying them. I simply couldn't sign it."

Romney said he spoke with the the individuals pushing for that bill and explained to them that he could not sign the legislation. He said he also authored a column in a Boston newspaper proclaiming his new pro-life credentials.

"Every piece of legislation that came to my desk, I came down on the side of the sanctity of human life," he said. "Every single one. And when my term as governor was over the Massachusetts Citizens for life invited me to come to their banquet and receive a leadership award for my contribution and my commitment to life as governor of Massachusetts. But, you know, there are some people who do not want to forgive you for making a mistake. And the truth is I was wrong. I saw that I was wrong. I admitted I was wrong and I'm now pro-life. That's just the way it's going to be. I'm not going to apologize for following the same pathway Ronald Reagan followed."

The audience, which erupted with applause twice, appeared at least agreeable with Romney's answer. One Johnson County Republican in the audience, however, said he's not sure if the explanation given is good enough to earn his support.

"Of course, no matter who the Republican is on the November ticket, I'll vote for that person," said Doug Roberts, who said he's trying to decide if he will caucus for Romney or former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. "What I really want to do -- what I think is important -- is to be for someone instead of against someone on the other ticket. I want to feel good about my choice and, while I believe Romney when he says he is pro-life, there's something inside of me that says he always was and just played a game to be elected governor in Massachusetts."

That type of opportunism -- of a politician saying what he or she thinks will turn out the most voters -- is something that doesn't sit well with Roberts.

"I know I'm not alone in feeling that way," he added. "It isn't Planned Parenthood taking out these ads -- it's Republicans. If a person will say whatever to get a job, I don't think that necessarily makes that person trustworthy."

Lisa Davis of Monticello disagrees and says she plans to caucus for Romney.

"No matter what you think about how [Romney] was elected to be governor, you have to admit that he has always voted pro-life," she said after the event. "Actions speak louder than words, in my opinion, and his actions have always been where I wanted them to be."

The 30-second television ad and full-page newspaper spread discussed in the Associated Press article is being funded by the Republican Majority for Choice and have already been distributed to Iowa voters. The group will spend more than $100,000 to run the television ad in Iowa and New Hampshire and to place newspaper ads in the Des Moines Register, Concord Monitor and New Hampshire Union Leader.

Jennifer Blei Stockman, the group's national chairwoman, said the flip-flopping question is fair.

"It's an issue about trust," she said. "We believe candidates running for the highest office in our land should be capable of trust."

In 2002, according to Stockman, Romney sought out the group's endorsement and won it based on his responses on a questionnaire -- specifically his pledge of support for Roe v. Wade as well as for providing state funding for poor women seeking abortions.

Romney, who has previously enjoyed a sizable lead in Iowa polling, has recently begun to see Huckabee gaining traction with voters -- both in the state and nationally. The Romney campaign has distributed mailers in South Carolina which tout the candidate's anti-abortion credentials, stating he is "the only major presidential candidate who supports the Republican Party's pro-life platform: A Constitutional amendment banning abortion nationwide." The readers' definition of "major" determines whether or not this is a factual statement.

Members of the International Association of Fire Fighters, AFL-CIO, CLC, are touring Iowa to drum up support for Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd and his bid for the White House. In the video below, fire fighters participating in the tour discuss why they support the Dodd candidacy.

The men and women on the tour have visited Council Bluffs, Sioux City, Fort Dodge, Boone, Ames, Nevada, Marshalltown, Mason City, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and Ottumwa. The tour will continue today with stops in Keokuk (Keokuk Labor Temple, 1:30 p.m.) and Burlington (Catfish Bend Casino, 6 p.m.).

On Tuesday the tour will visit Muscatine and Davenport, locations to be announced. On Wednesday the fire fighters will visit Clinton (Best Western Frontier Motor Inn, 9 a.m.) and Dubuque (Happy's Place, 7 p.m.).

The tour wraps up on Thursday with stops in both West Des Moines and Des Moines, exact locations to be announced. Dodd will join with the fire fighters at their final stop in Des Moines. The latest information on the tour is available on the Fire Fighters for Dodd website.

This morning, before a crowd of roughly 100 Iowans at Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, one of Iowa's youngest Congressmen was the first from Iowa to offer an endorsement of a presidential candidate. Congressman Bruce Braley publicly announced his support for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Following the event, Braley, an Edwards activist in 2004, said he was happy to endorse the Democratic candidate and explained the timing.

"I represent the First District of Iowa and I wanted to make sure that the people in the First District had the opportunity meet the Democratic candidates and make up their own minds," he said. "I was trying to make sure that I had a clear distinction between the stances of all the candidates and I had also told all of them that I would not be making an endorsement decision until after Thanksgiving. I've been very focused on my job in Washington and I've not had the time to sit back and reflect on this important decision."

According to Edwards, the Braley endorsement was "heavily courted" by the candidates in the Democratic field.

It's been said that the caucuses are the reason that Iowa doesn't have an NFL team: there's simply not enough energy in the state for people to concentrate on both. In many ways this is true, although unfortunate for those of us who love the pigskin.

I snapped this photo by accident while trying to get a shot of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards working the "sign line" at the Hawkeye Community College event with Congressman Bruce Braley on Monday.

What's interesting is while I halfway remembered the lady's head popping into one of the pictures -- and, yes, that's Edwards right behind her -- I didn't really "see" her. I was too busy looking through the camera and trying to get the shot of the candidate.

While I don't want to get too melancholy on a Tuesday night, it seems to me that I'm truly a member of the press now because I -- just like "them" -- allowed myself to get so caught up in chasing the one that I forgot the many. For the next 30 days I'm going to wake up each morning and remind myself that all of this isn't just about the candidates and I will do my best to keep the focus on all of you.

At the end of the day, I'm going to be very proud to know that I've met the next resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. That being said, I'm going to be even more proud that I was part of this wonderful and often times crazy process in Iowa. Sign wars. Driving 10 miles on snow and ice in hopes of asking a question at a political rally. Walking past the expensive button, bumper sticker and t-shirt vendors because we know campaigns have free stuff inside. Plastering our bumpers with numerous candidate stickers because we haven't decided yet. Standing outside an event hall for an hour, in the rain, and only getting a handshake in return. Houses with rival candidate signs -- or rival party signs -- in the yard. A firm understanding that caucusing is better with warm treats and goodies.

No one does it like we do it. No one does it better.

Seven Democratic presidential hopefuls converged in Des Moines Tuesday afternoon to take part in the first audio-only debate of the campaign hosted by Iowa Public Radio and broadcast nationally by National Public Radio. While front-running candidates exchanged a few swipes on the three issues discussed, and have had their words broadly publicized since the debate, the event provided a stage for the lesser-known and lesser-financed candidates: Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel. To say that they played the day for all it was worth would be an understatement.

When the debate concluded, a handful of candidates -- Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Kucinich and Gravel -- made themselves and their staff available to members of the press who had gathered outside or in the lobby of the Iowa State Historical Building.

The debate itself focused on three issues -- Iran, China and immigration -- in an attempt to bring more depth to the candidates' discussion. Some in the national press have argued that having Kucinich and Gravel as a part of the conversations in Des Moines weakened the format, removed talking time from the other candidates and served no purpose. Iowans -- many of whom said they listened to the debate were found at area businesses afterward -- welcomed at least one last opportunity to hear from the race's lesser-knowns.

"I don't feel that way at all," said Alano Rodriquez of Des Moines when asked if Kucinich and Gravel should have been excluded from the debate because of their lower poll numbers and lack of organization in Iowa. "I won't be caucusing for either of them, but what they have to say is important."

Jamie Marshall, who said she listened with friends from Iowa State University, agreed.

"I don't think the big candidates tell the truth all the time," she said. "I think you need the other, lower candidates in there to make them talk -- to get them out of their political comfort zones. I wish they'd let them talk more."

When asked about the format of the debate, Kucinich mostly declined comment.

"I think NPR did a good job," he said before walking away.

While no Iowans were willing to concede a Gravel or Kucinich win in the debate, not one was found who was unappreciative of the candidates being invited and participating.

"Many of us -- at least I know this is true for me -- have chosen our candidate," Rodriquez said between sips from a coffee cup. "We aren't going to see the other candidates like we should, and are now concentrating our efforts to help our candidate. These events that have all the candidates are probably the only time those of us who are supporting one candidate or another get to hear from the others."

Rodriquez said he has chosen his first and second candidate choices, but refused to name them because his "number two keeps changing."

Candidates taking part in the debate were New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, Biden, Dodd, Kucinich and Gravel. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson was not present for the debate. He attended the funeral of Clem R. Boody, an Iowa soldier who lost his life during the Korean War. Richardson and Anthony Principi, former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, were instrumental in the recent return of the veteran's remains to his family.

NPR and IPR have stated that they hope to put on a similar audio-only event for the Republicans after the first of the year -- no word yet on when and/or who has been invited.

Author Clarification: Based on conversations I had with guests following the debate, this article originally stated that guests at the event were provided a live video feed of the debate. National Public Radio and Iowa Public Radio provided no video or closed-circuit viewing of the debate for either guests or the press.

Gen. Wesley Clark was making the rounds in eastern Iowa today on behalf of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. One of his stops was at Campbell Steele Gallery in Marion. A portion of the General's prepared remarks are in the clip below:

As usual, I'm working on a formal write-up of the event for in the morning.

A mid-day event Wednesday in Marion was billed as a stop for the campaign of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and, without a doubt, the vast majority of the 40-some people in attendance were Clinton supporters, but there were also those Iowans who came just for the privilege of seeing her surrogate, Gen. Wesley Clark.

Susan Bremer of Marion is not only a supporter of Clinton, but a frequent volunteer for her campaign in Linn County. Coming to see Clark speak on Clinton's behalf was important, she said, because it adds to her knowledge base of the candidate.

"I want to know as much as I can about the people who are involved with her and her life," she said. "He's known her for 24 years. That gives you a good idea of what her personality is if she has friends like that."

Dale Todd of Cedar Rapids, who signed up early on with the campaign for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, didn't come to the event to learn more about Clinton.

"[Clark] is an incredibly neat and gifted public servant," Todd said after the event. "I worked and volunteered for him. There were a lot of us who were involved in his campaign -- or maybe we should say 'the campaign that could have' -- here in Iowa. We encouraged him to campaign in Iowa and, we think that if he had, the last election would have came out a bit different. We just saw huge support those last few weeks. If he had just came to Iowa, who knows what type of impact that might have had."

Todd came today, he said, "because Wes is a good friend."

"I don't think you'll find anybody who's got the depth and the breadth when it comes to foreign policy and the culture of the military," he said. "He's a hard worker and just has an incredible work ethic. And, really, he's just a down to earth guy. While he is outspoken and against the war, he commands a huge respect among the military. He's a force to be reckoned with -- one, of course, we would have loved to have on our side."

Bremer agrees and says she knows the Clinton campaign is fortunate to have such an important surrogate and supporter.

"He is unbelievable vocal and very charismatic," she said. "He is a presence. I met him last night at headquarters and while he was just standing there, he exudes professionalism and believability. You can tell he has honesty and integrity."

Clark spent the bulk of his prepared remarks listing the reasons why he is supporting a Clinton candidacy. The question and answer period, however, turned to foreign policy -- Clinton's vote to label the Iranian Guard as a terrorist organization, former military efforts in Bosnia and the current state of U.S. relations throughout the world.

"It is difficult for him to bring down the war into terms that the general public can understand, but he did very well today," Bremer said. "He was able to tell us about some of the Iran and Iraq issues that we are having and that they are having. He actually made me feel more comfortable wit the war just in those few minutes. I was looking at him and it is people like him who are commanding procedures over there. I feel confident -- especially with Hillary in as president -- that we are going to be able to pull out of this war with maybe less casualties that we expected originally.

"But, all that being said, he's just a super nice man and, of course, he's supporting Hillary because he's super intelligent smart," she added with a wide smile.

Bremer said that, like Clark, she has lots of reasons for her support of Clinton, even if she's never met the candidate face-to-face.

"I saw her and [former President] Bill [Clinton] at a park in Cedar Rapids on 4th of July," she said. "I got goosebumps -- the hair stood up on me. I've never seen anyone so warm and so loving and so kind, but at the same time very articulate about what she wants. She's going to be a tough candidate and I want her to be tough. We need to clean up this mess we are in now. I have kids and I don't want to leave the world this way because I was never wanting it the way it is now -- with Bush not caring about middle class people, the people that do all the work. They are the crux of the American society, economy and community. Hillary knows that they've been overlooked for the past eight years, and she's going to make sure that this doesn't continue."

Her words echo what Clark told the audience at the event.

"She wants the job to do something for the United States of America -- for our people -- and to use America's power to help people all over the world," he said. "I think that's the right reason and the right character to seek this office.

"So, Hillary Clinton. Smart. Experienced. Great character. Tough minded. She'll stand up for America. Let's make her our next president."

Video of Clark's prepared remarks is also available.

An autopsy on the body of 24-year-old Douglas John Lindseth of rural Ellsworth has determined "blunt force injuries of the head and multiple stab wounds and incised wounds of the chest and neck" to be the cause of death. Due to the findings of the Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny, the case is now officially classified as a homicide.

On Monday evening at roughly 7 p.m., deputies from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to Lindseth's residence. Law enforcement was responding to a report of a possible assault and discovered Lindseth, already dead, upon arrival.

The following day, local law enforcement partnered with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to arrest 25-year-old Michael Anthony Lindseth on murder and burglary charges. Michael Lindseth is the victim's older brother. Assistance in the investigation and crime scene was also provided by the Story County Sheriff, Colo Ambulance, Hamilton County Attorney, Hamilton County Medical Examiner, Iowa State Patrol and the Ellsworth Ambulance Service.

No further details are being released at this time.

A new ad released today by the presidential campaign of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama features footage from the candidate's speech at the Iowa Democratic Party's Jefferson-Jackson Dinner, held in November.

In the ad, Obama discusses his desire to move past the "textbook" campaign that pits "red" against "blue" America.

The minute-long television ad begins airing in Iowa today and, according to the campaign, may be aired elsewhere in the future.

The video of the full 20-minute speech made by Obama at the Democratic event is available on YouTube.

Politics, it's been said, makes for strange bedfellows. After the news that came out of the U.S. House of Representatives late yesterday, I'm about to prove that adage correct. I agree whole-heartedly and without question with Congressman Ron Paul on his vote against the Securing Adolescents From Exploitation-Online (SAFE) Act of 2007.

On Wednesday, members of the House voted 409 to 2 to approve a bill that says anyone offering a public, wireless internet connection must report illegal images including "obscene" cartoons and drawings or face fines up to $300,000. The two Congressmen who opposed were Paul and Rep. Paul Brown, R-Georgia.

The bill, if also approved in the U.S. Senate (something that seems likely), will enact new restrictions on multitudes of individual Americans and small businesses who operate public wireless networks.

Wednesday's vote caught Internet companies by surprise: the Democratic leadership rushed the SAFE Act to the floor under a procedure that's supposed to be reserved for noncontroversial legislation. It was introduced Oct. 10, but has never received even one hearing or committee vote. In addition, the legislation approved this week has changed substantially since the earlier version and was not available for public review.

The Senate has a similar bill, introduced by Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, and cosponsored by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, and six other legislators.

The definition of which images qualify as illegal is expansive. It includes obvious child pornography, meaning photographs and videos of children being molested. But it also includes photographs of fully clothed minors in overly "lascivious" poses, and certain obscene visual depictions including a "drawing, cartoon, sculpture, or painting." (Yes, that covers the subset of anime called hentai).

There is also an image retention component built into the law -- not for the government, but for the private entities running the servers. It is something especially troubling for Internet service and email providers, including Gmail and Yahoo!

Once again, at least it seems, the government is willing to sacrifice individual privacy under the guise of saving the children. Once again, it seems, we have legislators who are willing to rush faulty bills through without fully reading them or understanding their intent and impact. What we have now, in essence, is a green light for law enforcement to ticket a robbed convenience store for leaving it's door open during business hours.

If you have a laptop that can access WiFi, I highly encourage you to drive through nearly any neighborhood and see how many open connections there are. If I planned on doing something -- anything -- illegal while on the internet, I would not be sitting at the local coffee shop or library where everyone could see me. I'd pull into a middle-class neighborhood of a town where I didn't live and hop on to any of the numerous, open networks available to me.

Here's the big rub: the United States already has a law that requires Internet Service Providers to report child pornography to proper authorities. This is the exact problem this new SAFE Act also proposes to tackle.

What this new legislation does that the existing law does not is target wireless networks -- hotels, motels, coffee shops, hospitals, schools, restaurants, etc. And that, I believe, is the bullseye Congress took aim and fired upon. American cities have been fighting with existing internet companies in order to set up free public WiFi access throughout downtown (or larger) areas. The new law does not provide protections for government agencies that offer wireless connectivity. While the new law may create a new burden on services like Gmail when massive amounts of content must be retained, is there anyone who doubts Google's capability of doing so? Consider the same burden placed on your local coffee shop.

Two more aspects: "obscene" and "drawings."

I hate to bring up this question, but exactly who gets to define what is and what is not obscene? Quite frankly, I find very little obscene and I'm quite adept at pushing the delete or off button when I do encounter it. I have a very cute/funny photo of my middle daughter who shoved two bouncing balls up her shirt. Would that be considered obscene? How about the photo of my sister reaching across the Thanksgiving table and her shirt falling open to expose her bra? How about the family portrait from the early 1970s where my mom's skirt was too short and you can see up it?

When it comes to child pornography, the pictures are illegal as fruit of the crime. Where is the victim in a drawing? (Provided, of course, that there was no live model posing for the drawing.) How exactly does one punish a thought or a burst of creativity?

Okay, I lied, here's another point: enforcement. The only way the local coffee shop could possibly begin to enforce this is to manually check packets for graphics data. And, while I'm visiting geekdom for a moment, let me clue you in to what that really means: The local coffee shop is going to be checking your packets, all of them, all of the information that travels through their network going either to or from your laptop. They would have to do this because there is absolutely no way to determine what's in a packet of data until it is re-assembled. That is, the store or shop is going to have to look at every piece of data -- and, under this new law, retain it.

Finally, when your computer is connected to a network, there's really only one identifiable trait: your MAC address (a unique string that identifies your network card). How exactly do they plan to track people down based on a network card string? Those who know and who are doing something wrong are simply going to buy another one. Those of us who are just checking our email -- and praying that strange Uncle George hasn't sent any questionable jokes -- will be the ones tracked. We will be the ones watched. And, if we happen to screw up -- click a wrong link or open a wrong email -- our friends the shop owners will be liable for $150,000 if they fail to report us.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd was at Mt. Mercy College in Cedar Rapids Thursday to discuss the Rule of Law and the Constitution with Iowans.

In the first two video clips below, Dodd's prepared remarks are presented with limited clipping for time. The last clip features two audience questions and Dodd's responses.

Often at December campaign stops in Iowa, presidential candidates accepting questions from the audience are presented with inquiries that have little, if anything, to do with the topic they came to discuss. Such was not the case at Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids when Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd came to discuss the Constitution and the rule of law.

"I think everyone is this room will agree that [President] George Bush and [Vice President] Dick Cheney have abused the Constitution," said Bill Werner of Cedar Rapids. "If you really believe in restoring Constitutional law, I think George Bush and Dick Cheney really need to be brought to court to answer for all of their crimes. They've broken American law. They've broken international law... and the Democratic Congress has sat there -- spineless -- and let them get away with it. I think we need to have these two men held accountable."

Werner went on to add that he felt that with each passing administration, American presidents were grabbing more and more power. He asked how Dodd, as president, would scale back the powers that have been accumulated by the executive branch.

"Come January 20, I have no hesitancy whatsoever looking back and reaching back," Dodd said. "Those who have violated the law, the Constitution or any of those principles, will face the bar of justice [when I am] the next president."

At this point, Dodd was forced to pause his response while the audience applauded his answer. When the audience calmed, he continued, "Implicit in your question, I think, is the question of why we have not filed articles of impeachment or had an impeachment trial. For very practical reasons, I'm not enthusiastic about that approach. Democrats regained the power of the Congress a year ago. I identify with your frustration -- particularly on the Iraq war. The one reason we regained the power was because of the Iraq war. More than anything else, it is why people voted for Democrats last fall. They wanted a change in that policy and I think we have failed the people of this country terribly on that issue."

Congress has failed, according to Dodd, because they have not used the one power bestowed on them by the Founding Fathers to change bad policy: the power of the purse.

"[Congress] does not have the power -- nor should it -- to manage a conflict," Dodd said. "The idea of 535 members of Congress deciding what happens operationally, day-to-day when things come and go is not within our power -- nor should it be. But the power to stop funding a bad policy is exactly what was given to us by the Founding Fathers. Congress has one obligation, if you think this is a bad policy, stop funding it."

Dodd also cried foul on those who would say that by withholding funding Congress is not supporting the nation's military.

"I served in the military," he said. "I was in the National Guard and the Army Reserves after the Peace Corps. I'm offended by anyone who would suggest that because I'm going to stop funding this policy that I'm going to put our troops at risk. That's baloney. We are going to do whatever is necessary to see to it that our men and women in uniform are going to be safe and secure. That's not the issue. The issue is whether or not this policy is worth pursuing or not. Congress has one job: stop funding. I'm the only Democratic [presidential] candidate from the United States Senate that is opposed to funding the conflict in Iraq."

When it comes to impeachment, however, Dodd said he believes the American people will turn against any party that ties up government and prevents progress on the international and domestic issues our country faces.

"[Impeachment proceedings] would consume the entire year," he said. "Frankly, I will tell you that the likelihood of us winning the next national election becomes nil if that is all we end up doing over the next year. I think the American people would react terribly negatively -- with all the other issues they face, it would look like politics as usual. Democrats going after Republicans with no likelihood whatsoever of producing end results. You might have a trial, but you're not going to get a conviction."

In answering Werner's final question regarding power grabs by the executive branch, Dodd said "it hasn't just been Republican presidents."

"Too often we've allowed the executive branch to undermine legislative authority and to exceed executive authority," he said. "The latest effort of this are these so-called 'signing statements' ... you can sign it or veto it, but the idea that a president is going to all of the sudden describe what the Congress did in a signing statement is way beyond anything included in the Constitution of the United States. There will be no signing statements in a Dodd administration. I promise you that."

Werner, who posed a similar question to New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and didn't feel he received an answer, said he was pleased that Dodd took the time to fully answer his question, but he didn't agree with what the candidate had to say.

"George Bush and Dick Cheney have broken countless laws in their pursuit of getting more power -- whether it is wire-tapping, extraordinary rendition, sending our troops into an illegal war," he said following the event. "I mean, basically, those guys are war criminals. If we are not willing to impeach these guys, that means that the next president that comes in, he's able to say, 'Well, if Bush and Cheney did it, it must be okay.' That's because we've condoned it. If we don't hold these guys accountable for the crimes they've committed, what does it say?"

Such high standards, Werner said, makes his decision on caucus night difficult.

"You know, I love [Ohio Congressman Dennis] Kucinich, but he has just no chance of winning," Werner said. "I know that's a bad thing for me to say, but he just has no chance in the world of actually winning the national election. They would tear him to pieces. [Former Alaska Sen.] Mike Gravel says a lot of wacky things, but sometimes I like what he says. I like [Illinois Sen. Barack] Obama because he, I think, is so smart and he appears to be able to bring people together in a way that I don't think [New York Sen.] Hillary [Rodham Clinton] could or in a way that [former North Carolina Sen. John] Edwards could. I was very impressed with Dodd."

Dodd opened his public remarks by reciting a quotation that's been attributed to Ben Franklin: "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Werner said he sees little difference between what that quotation represents and the question he asked.

"If we are willing to sacrifice the rule of law so that we can be elected," he said, "how is that any different than what Ben Franklin warned against? If my child does something wrong, I expect them to be held accountable. I don't expect to delay it until a more convenient time. ...When the police see someone commit a crime, they don't say, 'Well, I'm not going to arrest you now. I'm going to do it a more convenient time.' That just isn't done."