Essential Estrogen

... the last Des Moines Register poll before the caucus shows former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama as strong.

Huckabee is shown with a six-point lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the next closest candidate in the Republican field. The span between the two is virtually unchanged since the Register's last poll, despite a full-press assault from the Romney team. None of the other Republican contenders, according to the poll, are within striking distance.

Obama rose by four points to 32 percent, further widening the gap between him and both New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. The latter two remained at 25 and 24 percent, respectively, very close to November's polling figures.

The remaining candidates in the Democratic field all remained in single digits, none of them climbing any higher than the six percent who reported they remained undecided.

... anti-war protesters continue to make their voice known during the caucus process.

Three members of the Seasons of Discontent: a Presidential Occupation Project (SODaPOP) were arrested Monday at the Huckabee's Des Moines campaign headquarters. Members of SODaPOP arrived at the campaign office in early afternoon, in search of a reply to a letter written two months earlier. The letter requested Huckabee's pledge to completely withdraw from Iraq within 100 days of assuming office, halt all military actions against Iraq and Iran; fund the rebuilding of Iraq as well as health, education and infrastructure needs in the United States, and provide the "highest quality health care, education and job training benefits for United States veterans.

The protesters had a banner that read, "Who Would Jesus Bomb?" as well as several smaller signs. Those inside the campaign headquarters read names of those who had lost their lives in the Iraq war, cited Biblical scripture and sang.

Members of the Des Moines Police Department responded to a complaint from campaign staff and arrested two women and one man, all in their mid-50s, on charges of trespass when they refused to leave the office without assurances that Huckabee, if elected president, would agree to the demands outlined in the letter.

A scheduled visit by Huckabee to the headquarters was delayed because of the incident. Throughout most of the activity, Huckabee and staff members remained in a campaign bus parked on the opposite side of the street. During the actual arrest, witnesses report the bus drove away -- but returned later.

While they were being arrested, the three were cheered by many on the sidewalk, including supporters of Congressman Ron Paul, who walked over from their nearby headquarters. The trio was charged and released.

More SODaPOP actions are planned through Jan. 3.

... the past 24 to 36 hours weren't the best for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign.

In addition to the stagnant poll numbers reported by the Register, the campaign has taken ire for comments made by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who endorsed Clinton in November, and Joy Philippi, who serves as the campaign's co-chairwoman of "Rural Americans for Hillary."

In an interview with the Columbus Dispatch, Strickland, who has stumped for Clinton in Iowa, was quoted as saying that Iowa was the wrong place to begin the presidential nominating process. Needless to say, such sentiment did not set well with Iowans.

It was not only the comments made by Philippi, but her very appointment in a leadership role for the campaign that has some rural Iowans raising their eyebrows. Some believe that Philippe, who is a former president of the National Pork Producers Council, is against local control of hog lots. (An issue that may not be a news generator in most of the nation, but is a hot-button one in Iowa.)

According to local reports, when she was asked on Thursday if she is personally opposed to local control efforts and government regulations of confined animal feeding operations, she said: "That's the opinion of some. I think that's probably one of the misconceptions. I don't mean to avoid your answer, but I don't want something that's going to be adversarial for the campaign."

... after taking a good deal of Sunday off to tape a new television spot that was critical of Romney, Huckabee decided not to go through with putting the ad on the air.

He did, however, gather the gaggle of press for a news conference and showed them the ad. Perhaps it is Huckabee's way of saving campaign funds.

... Iowans are having flashbacks to 2004.

During the 2004 caucus, Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich instructed his supporters to join forces with then North Carolina Sen. John Edwards if they were not viable at the precinct level. Many credited the influx of support from Kucinich with propelling Edwards to a second place finish in Iowa and, arguably, his slot as on the Democratic ticket with John Kerry.

Kucinich, now facing an all too familiar scenario of not having enough supporters on caucus night to be viable, is once again encouraging his Iowa supporters as to who should be their second choice. In a letter to supporters on Tuesday afternoon, Kucinich wrote: "...You know and I know that if we want to create the world we want, we must vote courageously. A courageous vote is the only vote worth casting. Please caucus for me as your first choice on Thursday with enthusiasm, as an indication of your strong commitment to the principled politics on which this campaign is based. If for some reason I do not make the 15 percent threshold in caucuses, I ask you to cast your second round ballot for Senator Barack Obama..." The letter was signed simply "Dennis."

While there is little doubt that a similar move by Kucinich strongly influenced delegate totals on caucus night four years ago, this is a different time, and Obama of 2008 is not Edwards of 2004. In addition, many of Iowa's 2004 Kucinich supporters have already moved to greener pastures. To say that the Ohio Congressman has campaigned very little in the state would be an understatement. He came for debates, the Livestrong Foundation's presidential forum and, perhaps, five campaign events.

One 2004 Kucinich supporter, who followed directions in 2004 and moved from the Kucinich to the Edwards group on caucus night and who has already chosen a different candidate, spent the afternoon and evening on the phone. She is now a steadfast supporter of New Mexico Gov. Bill RIchardson and requested her name not be used. "Frankly, I'm furious," she said. "It's one thing that he did this in 2004. I mean, at least then you could actually say that Dennis was here in the state and trying. He hasn't been here. He isn't coming here. If he really wants to make a stand on principle, then he would just tell supporters to vote their heart and leave it at that. If he wants to endorse Obama, he should leave the race and just do it. He has absolutely no right to once again attempt to influence the caucus process -- especially considering what we ended up with last time we followed his advice."

Because of Kucinich's lack of attention to Iowa during the past year, many 2004 supporters have moved on. Those who remain have learned from past experience the importance of second choices on caucus night, and could be found shopping the candidates throughout the past year.

"I have a lot of respect for Congressman Kucinich," Obama said in a prepared statement. "He and I have been fighting for a number of the same priorities -- including an end to the war in Iraq that we both opposed from the start, reforming Washington and creating a better life for America's working families."

... the latest series of advertisements from the Edwards campaign pull at heart strings.

The Edwards campaign has launched a new series of print and television ads that feature Iowan Doug Bishop -- a man who was one of the first to go through layoffs at the Maytag plant in Newton. In the ads, Bishop tells the story of the time he and his then 7-year-old son first met Edwards, who was then a candidate on the 2004 Democratic presidential ticket.

“This is something I’ll never forget,” Bishop says in the ad. “[John Edwards] grabbed my seven-year-old son by the hand, he dropped to one knee, and he looked him straight in the eye and he said ‘I’m going to keep fighting for your daddy’s job, I promise you that.’ You know, that stuff sticks with you. That’s the kind of things we need in a leader in this country…I want a guy that’s going to sit down and look a seven year-old kid in the eye and tell him ‘I’m going to fight for your dad’s job.’ That’s what I want.”

... the Iowa Democratic Party has announced a public website, allowing anyone to follow caucus results online.

The website -- www.iowacaucusresults.com -- will show statewide, county and precinct level results in nearly real time. The state party anticipates to begin reporting around 8 p.m. CST.

... former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson makes his final pitch to Iowans in much the same way he introduced himself -- and begins a candidate trend.

Thompson, true to his actor roots and possible fondness of retakes, has created a 17-minute video to provide his last-minute thoughts to Iowa Republican caucus-goers. In the video, Thompson discusses the issues of national security, the economy, immigration and reproductive choice.

On the Democratic side of things, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden has also put together a video message to Iowa voters.

Republican Rudy Giuliani didn't put up a video message to Iowans. Instead, his campaign has created a montage of highlights from the previous year. This could very well be one of the reasons why Giuliani is a national, but not Iowa front-runner.

... the Clinton campaign strikes out against the method used in a poll that was unfavorable to their candidate.

Chief Strategist Mark Penn writes on the campaign blog that the poll reported by the Des Moines Register, which showed Clinton slipping behind Obama in Iowa, used a model of only 55 percent Democratic turnout on caucus night.

... there are still undecided Iowans.

"I've seen them all," a woman whispered to me at a campaign event. "I've looked them in the eye and I've done all the things that Iowans are supposed to do. I've managed to put a couple of the candidates to the side, but I'm still trying to figure out my top three -- not to be confused with the media's top three.

A political conversation at the gas pumps brought the following observation from an elderly Iowa man: "There are some people who think Iowans are blessed, and I guess they're right. It's just that right now -- when the phone won't stop ringing and the mail won't stop coming -- I'm not feeling that way."

First-time caucus-goer Vicky was more than happy to attend events for all the candidates - many of them more than once. Now even she says she's ready. "I just want it to end. I don't know yet who I'll stand with or for, but I'm still ready for it to be done."

... portions of Iowa have been under high wind advisories.

Even the sharpest winter wind should not cause much disturbance in densely populated areas, but it can disrupt traffic in Iowa's more rural counties when it leads to drifting snow. As of Tuesday night, the forecast was calling for strong winds to continue on Wednesday and Thursday.

Iowa women, just like many women throughout the nation, entered this election season with high hopes. For the first time in history, there would be a front-running woman vying for the nation's highest office. More importantly, after surviving the sound bite days of "soccer moms" and "security moms," women were ready to stand politically independent -- no modifiers required.

With the Iowa caucus just around the corner, there is cause for both celebration and angst in the feminist community. Without a doubt, this election has been as much about women as it has been about any other group or collective of issues. Early on, candidates from both sides of the aisle -- but especially the Democratic contenders -- announced their women's leadership committees. Due in large part to the fact that a viable woman had entered the race, campaigns were quick to tout their feminist credentials and female staff members. Official campaign press releases were issued when a candidate gained the support of a particularly well-known or well-respected woman.

Women, however, weren't content with platitudes, and, as the contest continued, it became clear to the campaigns that horse races listing female supporters and sound bites were not going to be enough. For this to be the political year of the woman, candidates were going to have to become serious about courting women -- the largest population voting block -- by speaking in detail about their core issues of concern. As any good campaign strategist will tell you, details do not a good sound bite make.

The Clinton Effect

Despite all the promise that New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton brought to the race and all the effort put into her candidacy by prominent women's groups such as EMILY's List, many women have ventured to other campaigns. The exact reasons are as varied as there are women, but the phrase of "I'm not going to vote for someone just because she has the same internal plumbing that I do" is one often heard in Iowa political circles. For these women, most of whom are between the ages of 18 and 50, there is no urgency of the moment -- no feeling that this might be their last chance to do something for the overall betterment of women.

Conversely, there are women entering or in their golden years who mince few words when describing how Clinton's "internal plumbing" was one of their main deciding factors. "I'm not young," they say. "In my lifetime, I want to see a woman in the White House." Implicit in such statements is the fact that many of the women in this age group have either had to forge their own path to success or have helped female friends and family forge one. For them, Clinton's candidacy has become a culmination of a lifetime of working on behalf of women's issues.

Only time will tell how such stark contrasts within the Iowa women's movement will play out. Some are not taking chances that the emerging gender gap might keep them from female mentors.

"Of the women I admire -- those I know that could help me and that I could learn the most from -- they are supporting Clinton," a friend recently said in a phone conversation. "I hadn't found much of a difference between the candidates, so I went with Clinton too. It's a common thread, another way for me to connect with these women."

The internal politics of Iowa politics described in the above statement may be somewhat distasteful, but it is upheld by the comments of some women who have found their home in a campaign other than Clinton's.

"When I tell people who I'm supporting -- even women I've considered close friends for years -- they look at me with this quizzical look and ask, 'But aren't you a feminist?'" said one eastern Iowa county official. "When I tell them I do consider myself a feminist, they often ask if I'm sure. There seems to be a real belief, especially from some of our older women, that in order to be a feminist, you must support the woman running, even if you don't think she is the best person for the job."

Women Supporting Men

Historically, as women have moved up career ladders, they've learned that one of the ways to judge the character of a male co-worker is to meet his spouse or other women in his life. This tactic, often whispered in corporate bathrooms and during lunches away from the office, was brought into the political conversation by Roxanne Conlin, a prominent Iowa attorney and staunch supporter of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

"I spent all my life in the company of men," she said during a campaign rally in Cedar Rapids. "When I first became a lawyer, there were very few women. ... The reason I say that is one of the ways I have traditionally judged my male colleagues is by the women who chose them."

Elizabeth Edwards, Michelle Obama, Jackie Dodd, Jill Biden, Ann Romney, Valerie Biden Owens, Barbara Richardson, Carol Paul, Mary Romney, Cate Edwards, Marion Robinson, Maya Soetoro-Ng, Ashley Biden, Janet Huckabee, Carolyn Dodd, Sarah Huckabee, Jeri Thompson and Martha Buonanno are just a few of the women family members who have been in Iowa on behalf of the male candidates. In addition, there has been a parade of women who are political or social celebrities here to spread the good news of the male candidate they have chosen.

"If nothing else comes of this, we know now that our nation is full of strong women who are taking an active role in the political process -- it's just too bad that more of them don't actually run for office themselves," said a male Obama supporter. "I'd vote for Michelle in a heartbeat -- Elizabeth Edwards too."

Such sentiment isn't isolated and campaigns know it. In an interview this fall, Mary Romney, a daughter-in-law of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, said, "We like to think that we are traveling the state, campaigning for Ann for First Lady."

Issues & Sound Bites

Last spring, in the midst of the whirl of the campaigns' attempts to one-up each other with women staffers and supporters, a request was sent from BlogHer, an internet community of more than 7 million techno-savvy women, to the leading Democratic and Republican presidential candidates. To date, not one campaign has agreed to participate, and, sadly, the BlogHer community is not alone. There are other organizations and blogs devoted to women who also feel they've received the cold shoulder from presidential hopefuls.

In response to the candidates' nonresponse, BlogHer announced a user survey that has shown that the vast majority -- well over 90 percent -- of women in the community want the group's editors to speak directly with the candidates and not rely on surrogates to address issues of concern. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the survey, however, came in response to the question of whether women bloggers are turned on or off by tactics to reach women and moms specifically. Fifty-six percent of those surveyed indicated that they found tactics such as "Women for Obama" and "Moms for Hillary" distasteful.

Just over 25 percent of women surveyed by BlogHer refused to give a one-word answer and instead opted for "other" and leaving a personal response. Comments such as "If it smacks of being patronizing or phony, it's a huge turn off for me" and "They seem to only want to talk to women on their terms and with their framing" were par for the course -- and are on target with what's being said daily by women in Iowa.

Listen to the national media long enough and you'll soon be convinced that I'm one of the hottest commodities available in this presidential election. First, I'm a resident of Iowa. Second, I'm a woman. It is true that I was contacted by every Democratic campaign (and a couple of Republican ones as well) and asked to join their "Women for ..." group. Over the summer, I spent hours in small meetings, visiting with leadership of said women's groups. Those who participated were told that the feedback garnered from those meetings was invaluable, that the views expressed by the women involved were going to be taken back to the top of the campaign and integrated into the messaging, plans and forthcoming white papers. Some of it was. Unless the other meetings held across the state of Iowa were drastically different from the ones I attended, very little of the substance of those meetings was converted to policy.

Women who attended the meetings, even those who remain firmly committed to the candidate hosting the meeting, still sometimes wonder where that information went or if it went anywhere at all. We asked to hear about reproductive health -- not just abortion, but the full gamut of reproductive health issues -- and have yet to see one white paper with that title. We asked for details concerning everything from early childhood learning to veterans' benefits to protecting family farms. We asked for a great deal. We gained very little.

Who would have guessed that the elderly woman on the Wendy's commercial who demanded, "Where's the beef?!" so many years ago would be so in tune with women today?

Contrary to radio entertainers who fill the day with notices of the "chickafication" of everything from the economy to the media, the best-kept secret of the women's community is that women's issues are human issues. We don't just care about families, contraception, security or education. Our key concerns are most likely your key concerns, and that fact, above all else, points to why this election cycle has been a disappointment.

Women want more than 30-second marketing spots and three-second sound bites on the evening news. Women, just like all Americans, are looking around the nation and finding room for improvement (if not full-fledged overhaul). From the economy to national security to health care, women are looking for answers. And it has been that quest for details, that want for something of substance, which has turned out to be the downfall of what could have been not only the political year of the woman but the political year of the citizen.

... attacks on former Gov. Mitt Romney arrive in Iowa all the way from Massachusetts.

A letter is being circulated in Iowa from primarily Massachusetts activists that accuses "conservative elites" of selling out principles and ignoring the grassroots by supporting Romney. In a press release late Wednesday by the Parents' Rights Coalition/MassResistance, the letter was announced and the originating group warns about "the conservative establishment's aggressive cover-up of the pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-gay adoption policies" of Romney while he served as governor. In addition, the press release states that "Romney's stable of prominent 'conservative' leaders, lawyers and pundits" are accused of "gross malpractice, ruthless ambition and dishonesty toward voters."

The lengthy letter, signed by 10 Massachusetts and nine national activists and politicos, discusses funding of "pro-homosexuality indoctrination of schoolchildren," adoptions by gay couples, same-sex marriage licenses and state subsidized abortion.

"The entire record of Mitt Romney's political career is that of a man whose Mormon background has no more influenced his zig-zagging statements, positions and policies than Ted Kennedy's or Hillary Clinton's religion influences theirs," said Parents' Rights Coalition spokesman John Haskins, who admits he now regrets voting for Romney four years ago. "Romney's traveling circus is just political special effects, issue after issue. He looks good, but he's a walking mannequin. There's absolutely no core in this man."

... it's the final countdown in Iowa.

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards spent the past 36 hours pitching his final thoughts to Iowa voters in a 917 mile "Marathon for the Middle Class" bus tour across the state. And, wouldn't you know it, the campaign has published a video of clips from the ride.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd is wrapping up a "Caucus for Results" bus tour of his own and, yep, there's a video of his campaign stop in Indianola.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama continues to "Stand for Change" around the state. The campaign has posted video from his stop Wednesday in my backyard, Cedar Rapids.

Romney was caught by the CNN cameras at one of his numerous "Caucus Huddle" events in and around Des Moines on New Year's Day.

My Iowa Independent colleague, Adam Burke, caught up with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee when he was Cedar Rapids, rocking out with his band.

Although the campaign for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has also been pushing its way across the state, instead of a video of the latest stop or series of stop, staff has posted a video of some undecided Iowans who have finally made their choice for... you guessed it... Clinton. In addition, the Clinton campaign has posted video of the candidate's closing argument to Iowans.

... 12 more anti-war protesters were arrested at Obama and Romney campaign headquarters in Iowa.

Four protesters ranging in age from 31 to 63 were arrested at the Romney headquarters Wednesday afternoon in Des Moines. Eight others, ranging from age 23 to 63, were also arrested at the Des Moines Obama headquarters. All were placed in the Polk County Jail and are expected to be arraigned this morning.

According to eyewitness reports, shortly after the protesters arrived, Obama staff members locked the doors to the office and ordered members of the press, volunteers and visitors to leave.

... at least one Iowan is taking "fickle" to the extreme.

Susan Klopfer, a writer and next door neighbor to former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack in Mount Pleasant, began the caucus season as a supporter of Clinton. She actually worked up through the ranks of the campaign and became one of Clinton's precinct captains, a person charged with organizing in their local area on behalf of his/her chosen candidate.

In early winter, however, Klopfer abandoned the Clinton campaign and joined the ranks of the Obama-nation. She even went so far as to shoot a video, explaining why she was switching her support to the other candidate.

According to an MSNBC reporter, Klopfer was spotted Wednesday morning in Mount Pleasant where she declared yet another political change of heart. Klopfer said that she has now switched her support to former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. And, while discussing viability, Klopfer dropped yet another bomb: She'll caucus for Richardson, but expects to end up standing with Edwards as her second choice.

For his part, Richardson welcomed Klopfer to the fold while pointing to the overall continued fluidity of the race. "Like Susan, caucus goers across Iowa are looking for real experience, proven results, and someone who can bring true change to Washington," he said. "There are a tremendous amount of undecided Iowans still out there and, as they begin to decide who they will support on caucus night, I am confident they will see me as the most experienced candidate in the race and the one best ready to lead on day one."

... the rest of the nation has never gotten these campaign promises!

Some like to say that Iowans are spoiled. Here in Iowa, we just like to think that we hold out for the best possible offer. This time, however, the offers are on overload.

Chum -- t-shirts, bumper stickers, campaign buttons and other items -- are always available to Iowans. It's not unusual to see foam fingers, hand fans, whistles, megaphones, hats, jewelry and other freebie campaign advertising materials (pens, notepads, change holders, jackets, sweatshirts and noise makers) at events and in campaign offices. This time, however, campaigns are opting for the more personal touches of food and labor.

The Clinton campaign is catering pre-caucus parties throughout the state. Since one of the biggest obstacles for campaigns has been making sure that supporters show up at their precincts, the campaign figures that offering a free meal before the doors close is an easy way to get people there early -- and to know who hasn't shown up and needs a reminder call. In addition to the Hy-Vee catered food, the Clinton campaign also has a pile of snow shovels and will, again if the rumor mill is correct, be shoveling sidewalks for some of their older caucus-goers.

The food ploy, however, may work against the candidate. Many of Iowa's caucus sites, especially in smaller communities, have traditional dishes brought in by caucus-goers. While some have joked about food being used as a candidate argument, the truth is that the goodies are just an added bonus to practicing democracy as a team sport. It's part of the fun and part of the grassroots experience.

Many campaigns are offering free rides to caucus sites and some of the larger campaigns are having the most lowly of staff members perform babysitting services -- both at caucus sites and in homes -- so that supporters can caucus. One person has told me that he will be able to leave work because a campaign staffer is covering his shift. Welcome to Iowa.

[Exclusive] -- Contrary to news reports from state and national media, three of Iowa's Democratic campaigns want their supporters to know that no blanket campaign directive has been issued, instructing supporters to throw support behind a different candidate during tonight's caucus.

"If Iowans are independent enough to have chosen me from the field of candidates, I'm quite sure they have the ability to make an independent second choice as well," said Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd.

The campaign for Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, offered similar sentiments.

"The rumor mill is hard at work," said Olivia Alair, a campaign spokeswoman. "We are encouraging our supporters to stand tall and stand tough and have every reason to expect that they will."

Robert Becker, Iowa director of the Bill Richardson for President campaign, took particular offense with reports circulated this morning that his campaign was encouraging non-viable supporters to switch to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

"Here we are the day of caucus and there are all these rumors about deals being made," he said. "I'm just sick of it. We have not directed our supporters to caucus for anyone other than Bill Richardson."

All the campaigns agree that in these final days, there have been internal discussions as to strategy. All are equally adamant that they have not and will not issue a blanket statement to their supporters to move to an opposing campaign.

"All the campaigns know where they have their strongest support," Becker said. "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure these things out."

Danny O'Brien, state director for Biden for President, said the campaign is confident going into tonight's caucus.

"There has been no discussion -- there will be no deals," O'Brien said. "We feel we have momentum going into tonight's caucus."

Dodd said the most important things campaigns can do now, at this late hour, is trust Iowans to make the best choice.

"Of course, I think the best choice is me," he said. "I want Iowans to caucus for me and to support my candidacy. But we've all been in the state and we've all had opportunity to bring our message to the people of Iowa. Now it is up to Iowans -- and I trust them."

Hello, everyone!

It's 6:30 p.m. and people are continuing the file in the door of the gymnasium at Vernon Middle School in Marion. It's difficult to say how many are here tonight as more than one precinct is sharing the area.

6:38 p.m. -- I'd estimate that there are 300 people in the room right now (but we still can't tell who is in what precinct). There are large groups gathering for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, former North Carolina John Edwards and New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Right now everyone is in what I can only describe as "clumps" of people. There are chairs, but there will not be enough. The bleachers have been pulled out from the wall too and, for now at least, they appear to be sparsely populated.

An Obama supporter is standing at the main entry and asking everyone who comes in if they are "fired up." A few people, walking in from below zero wind chills, have given her a rather odd look, obviously unaware of the campaign slogan.

6:51 p.m. -- Nine minutes before the doors close and we've had our first sighting of a supporter for Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich. All the candidates -- Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, in addition to those already named -- now all have at least some supporters at the caucus.

It's getting a little hectic to try to liveblog both here and at Iowa Independent. My apologies to those following along here on Essential Estrogen, but I'm going to limit the operation to this post on Iowa Independent. Please hop over there for the remainder of the caucus.

We've returned home from the caucus and are just now listing to Illinois Sen. Barack Obama give his victory speech in Des Moines. Overall, I'm feeling elated for those who came out victorious and melancholy for those who did not. There were so many young staff people in our state who worked tirelessly for their candidates. My thanks to them all for their help in making my state shine over the past year.

In addition to my liveblog from Marion, at least a handful of others provided live reports:

• MOMocrats
• TalkLeft
• podcastmama (twitter)
• Douglas Burns (Iowa Independent)
• Joe Says So
• firedoglake (Jane Hamsher)
• Daily Kos (barath in Lisbon)
• Jeff Angelo (God, Politics & Rock 'n' Roll)

If you know of others, please let me know.

One year ago today, two friends and I joined forces to begin this blog. The idea of focusing on Iowa women and the politics that affect them was simple, but the implementation proved to be more of a challenge.

Not long after we started, one of the friends decided blogging -- or, more aptly, the possible target placed on her back for being a woman who blogs -- was not worth the enjoyment of the doing. Two of us have continued since then... although life, as it sometimes does, has gotten in the way of Paige contributing as much as she did in the beginning.

None of us dared to look a year to the future when the blog began. We lived day to day, week to week and did our best to savor every moment, every person we met along the way. To say that we -- all three of us -- were blessed by what we did would be a massive understatement. To be sure the nasty comments (the ones so off-topic and so offensive that they never see the light of public display) and equally nasty email messages have been trying and disheartening. They bothered us more before we began networking with other women bloggers throughout the nation and realized that they were receiving similar. We've begun to see them as badges of honor, as a sign that what we are saying and reporting on matters.

There was some consideration that we'd look back over the year of posts and pull the ones of various categories -- our picks, most viewed, most re-posted, most commented, etc. The consideration died when we discovered that, after the caucus blitz, we simply were too tired to be that ambitious.

Still, whether you are reading for the first time today or have been with us for the past year, we welcome you. Drop us a line and let us know what you think we should be covering now that the presidential hopefuls have moved on for a few months.

Congressman Dave Loebsack kicked off his second round of meetings with residents in Iowa's 2nd District by shunning what he termed the "hyper partisanship" of Washington, D.C.

"I might just say, generally, [my first year in Congress] was even more than I expected it would be in many ways," Loebsack, a first-year Democrat, told the 40-some citizens gathered at Kirkwood Community College for the Monday morning meeting. "I knew it wouldn't be easy and there have been times when it hasn't been easy."

Frustration, he said, in trying pass legislation at the federal level is something he and local residents both feel.

"I will be the first to admit that even I, perhaps, underestimated the hyper partisanship that we see in Congress, and sometimes between Congress and President [George W.] Bush," Loebsack said. "We all deserve choices. That's what makes America great. That's what makes us a democracy. We have different people with different ideas who present them to the public, and then the public gets to choose. But, at the same time, I want us to get something done. People want us to get something done whatever it may be, whatever issue you may be talking about."

Although Loebsack began the meeting by stating he expected to hear from those who held concerns about the perceived lack of progress by the Democratic-controlled Congress, he was quizzed heavily on domestic issues. Many in attendance gave voice to agricultural concerns as well as the farm bills that were recently passed by both the House and Senate. The two bills are now in conference, where the two pieces of legislation will be melded as one before being sent to the president.

"Some of the things that President Bush proposed I think make a lot of sense," Loebsack said. "Again, it's this whole partisanship thing. If President Bush has a good idea, I'm going to embrace it. I don't have a problem with that. Some of my friends aren't going to like my saying that, but that's the way it is because we've got to move in the direction that makes sense."

Loebsack also took criticism of continued congressional earmarks, despite the fact that Congress has made deep cuts in that area, and the lack of progress on education reforms.

"I came here specifically to express my extreme frustration and disappointment that the majority party could not reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act this year," said an audience member who identified himself as a school board member. "And now I'm hearing stories that it will take until 2010 before any action takes place. I just think that is totally unacceptable, and I just wanted you to know that."

The questioner added that he was told progress on the education reform bill stopped because so many freshmen Democrats were elected to Congress in 2006.

"I suppose, if you want to sort of evaluate what happened, that was part of what happened," Loebsack responded. "But, it wasn't because we said, 'Stop it.' I have said all along that No Child Left Behind needs significant reforms... not that we need to just stop it entirely."

The process did come to a halt last year, Loebsack admitted. He added that he had meetings just before coming home for the holidays and expects the bill to be reintroduced in the coming session.

"It may be the case that there will not be enough political will to do what you want to do, that is reform it and reauthorize it before January 2009," he said. "I don't know. The presidential election is getting in the way... There's a lot of frustration on both sides of the aisle, but I do believe we need to make significant reforms as far as accountability, as far as measuring progress and, certainly, funding as well."

Another audience member expressed his elation that there would not be a rain forest built in Iowa, but said that Congress was continuing to place too many earmarks within legislation.

"I know as a freshman congressman, you may not carry much weight, but I would urge you to pass on to your colleagues as best you can, that people are really sick and tired of pork barrel priorities," he said. "There are enough priorities to spend our money on, not the least of which is trying to control our expenditures on covering some of this ridiculous debt."

Loebsack said that although Congress had cut earmarks in half this year, he knew there was much more to be done.

"I made it very clear that if an earmark, or whatever you want to call it, comes to the 2nd District, we publicize it," he said. "We make it known. We make it transparent. The funding that has come to this district, I think it has been for good purposes. Of course, every member of Congress is going to say that...although, thankfully, there is no bridge-to-nowhere in the 2nd District."

Funding recently approved for the Entrepreneurial Development Center was an earmark, Loebsack said, that he believes serves a greater good and should continue. Members of the audience, however, remained split as to whether there should be any earmarks.

"I guess if we use that argument, there would be very few things that we could spend our money on -- national defense, education and only a few other things that affect everyone," he said. "By that argument we might have to restrict -- and you might want that -- what government does to only those things that literally affect everybody."

The stop in Cedar Rapids was the first on Loebsack's weeklong tour in which he will hold meetings in each of the 15 counties that comprise the 2nd District.

Federal and state charges have been filed against 19 people, residents of both Nebraska and Iowa, following a year-long undercover investigation into vehicle thefts in the Omaha and Council Bluffs areas.

Last January, officers with the Iowa State Patrol and Federal Bureau of Investigation opened a store front called "Chicago Imports" in Council Bluffs. The goal was to create a location where undercover law enforcement officers could survey and document the sale of stolen property, specifically vehicles. In Omaha, for example, a total of 3,433 vehicle thefts were reported in 2006 and 3,211 thefts were reported through November 2007.

The project, dubbed "Operation Tow Truck," allowed officers to make 84 transactions, some of which included the sale and purchase of multiple items -- 62 vehicles, 22 guns, 30 construction items, six motorcycles, four jet skis, two boats and various illegal drugs. The items had been reported stolen from Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Texas during incidents that spanned from March 2006 to December 2007.

To purchase the stolen goods, officers expended $70,900. The estimated value of the stolen property, not including the illicit drugs, sits at more than $1.4 million.

Chicago Imports was open for nine months, closing its doors on Nov. 1, 2007. Officers continued to make transactions at other locations once the store closed, in order to collect more information on several of the subjects. According to law enforcement, it became apparent that there was an organized network of criminals, not random walk-ins, who were patrons of the store front.

As of 2:30 p.m. today, 19 people have been officially charged as a direct consequence of their interaction with Chicago Imports and the undercover officers who staffed the store. Federal charges levied against 12 people in both Nebraska and Iowa are interstate transportation of stolen property, interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle, receipt or sale of a stolen motor vehicle, distribution of a controlled substance, possession of stolen property, felon in possession of a firearm and sale and possession of stolen firearms. Identities of those facing federal charges are being kept private, pending their appearance before a federal judge.

The seven people charged in Pottawattamie County are Aaron Christiansen (36 of Council Bluffs), Danielle Frazier (20 of Glenwood), Joyce Hansen (27 of Omaha), John Kincaid (44 of Omaha), Anthony Foster (19 of Omaha), Danny Hulett (35 of Council Bluffs) and Daniel Kennedy (22 of Omaha). All face first degree theft charges. Christiansen, Kincaid and Hulett also face charges of ongoing criminal conduct. Frazier has been charged with delivery of a simulated substance while Foster is charged with two counts of delivery of a controlled substance.

The covert operation was undertaken by the Iowa State Patrol, the FBI, National Insurance Crime Bureau, the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency, Council Bluffs Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, the Department of Public Safety Intelligence Bureau, Southwest Iowa Region 4 Fusion Center, Sioux City Region 1 Fusion Center, S.W.I.N.E. Task Force, Law Enforcement Intelligence Network, Pottawattamie County Attorney, Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office, Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation and Division of Narcotic Enforcement, Douglas County (Nebraska) Attorney, Washington County (Nebraska) Sheriff's Office, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa and U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska.

The two most expensive vehicles recovered by the operation are a 2006 Yukon Denali worth $42,590 (officers paid $1,600) and a 2007 Jeep Commander worth $31,005 (officers paid $1,200).

When Congressman Bruce Braley was selected to serve as chairman of a subcommittee of the U.S. House Committee on Small Business, it marked the first time since at least 1959 that a freshman congressman from Iowa had held such a distinction. This week, the Democrat is touring the First District to ensure his constituents know perceived lack of progress in Washington, D.C. isn't a reflection on his leadership.

"This gives you some idea about how busy our Small Business Committee was," Braley said Wednesday as he stood in front of a screen and highlighted the 18 bills that were sent out of the House Small Business Committee and passed on the House floor during 2007. "Within recent memory the Small Business Committee has not done nearly as much as we did this year. ... The overwhelming number of those bills passed with strong bipartisan support."

Despite all the work he and his committee has done and overwhelming approval in the House, however, none of the passed bills have yet been discussed on the floor of the Senate -- much less been signed into law.

"After all that work, after all that bipartisan agreement, none of these bills have become law," he said to the small crowd of small business owners and government officials gathered in Waverly. "This is why Congress's approval rating is so low. The question is, 'What's the hold up?' There is a very easy answer: The Senate."

Braley, while urging constituents to contact Iowa Sens. Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley to push the bills, said that the Senate Small Business Committee has not taken any of the bills put forth by the House seriously.

"There are two reasons [why this has happened]," Braley said during a private interview following the event. "One is the procedural way the Senate operates. They have to get 60 votes to cut off debate. Almost every bill we vote on in the House has one hour of debate and then we go to the vote. In the Senate, they can have unlimited debate, and, when you're dealing with these enormous issues like the war in Iraq, children's health insurance and the farm bill -- those things take up a lot of floor time and crowd out some other very important issues like these small business bills."

Another frustration, he said, is the inaction of the Senate Small Business Committee on bills passed by the House. A bill he authored, the Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act, passed the House by a vote of 409-13 in May. It was dispatched to the Senate where it sat with little notice until just before the end of the year.

"When I talk to leadership, I tell them that there is overwhelming bipartisan support for these bills," he said. "These are the things we can get done to show the American people that we are serious about improving their lives. I'm sure we can get them passed, even if the President tried to veto them. That's the message I'm sending to leadership, and I hope that they'll have more time in 2008 to make these bills a priority."

Although politics in 2008 will be dominated by the presidential contests, Braley said he still hopeful the bills will receive attention.

"I think that with the presidential candidates talking about a lot of the 'big picture' issues, and with the president we have now being unwilling to work with us on a lot of those issues, we have to find other things that we can get to his desk and either get his signature or else try to get his veto over-ridden," Braley said.

Bills Passed Through the Small Business Committee and U.S. House in 2007:

• HR 434, a temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act
• HR 1332, the Small Business Lending Improvement Act of 2007
• HR 1361, the RECOVER Act
• HR 1468, the Disadvantaged Business Disaster Eligibility Act
• HR 1873, the Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act
• HR 2284, to amend the Small Business Act to expand and improve the assistance provided by Small Business Development Center to Indian tribe members, Alaska natives and native Hawaiians
• HR 2359, the SBA Entrepreneurial Development Programs Act of 2007
• HR 2366, The SBA Veterans' Programs Act of 2007
• HR 2397, the SBA Women's Business Programs Act of 2007
• HR 2992, the SBA Trade Programs Act of 2007
• HR 3020, the Microloan Amendments and Moderinization Act
• HR 3206, a temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act
• HR 3221, the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act and the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2007
• HR 3567, the Small Business Investment Expansion Act of 2007
• HR 3866, the Small Business Programs Act of 2007
• HR 3867, the Small Business Contracting Program Improvements Act
• HR 4252, a temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act
• HR 4253, the Military Reservist and Veteran Small Business Reauthorization and Opportunity Act of 2007

In addition to discussing his work as a part of the committee, Braley listened as community leaders voiced their concerns on the difficulty of working with the Small Business Administration, funding for proposed road projects and how best to to contact and work with their federal legislators.

Braley serves on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in addition to his duties with the Small Business Committee. He is the chairman of the subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. His "New Era Program" for renewables workforce training was included in the Senate-passed farm bill and, he said, he was optimistic it would survive conference and be a part of the final bill sent to the president.

In Iowa, the numbers are staggering. Half of the state's pregnancies are unplanned. When considering only 18- and 19-year-olds who become pregnant, that statistic jumps to 72 percent. What's worse, those numbers have remained stagnant for years.

"When I learned these figures, I was shocked," said former Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack during a phone interview today. "I have to think that many other Iowans will be shocked as well."

Vilsack's shock prompted action this morning in Des Moines when she launched the Iowa Initiative to Reduce Unintended Pregnancies, a program focused on overall awareness and helping women between the ages of 18 and 30 receive family planning information. While the group will not provide contraception and services directly, it does intended to partner with existing groups that do and, hopefully, prompt the public to request funding for such services from the state legislature. In order to fulfill it's mission of reducing unintended pregnancies, the Iowa Initiative will partner with the University of Northern Iowa to employ "a number of exciting, cutting-edge social marketing techniques," exact details to be released in upcoming weeks.

"This is a real opportunity," an excited Vilsack said of her position as executive director. "I feel like I got the perfect job and now I can focus on one issue I really care about."

The position came to Vilsack by way of the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which has provided $1.5 million to fund the program. The foundation, named for the late wife of Nebraska investor Warren Buffett, is known for providing scholarships to Nebraska youth and outstanding teacher awards. The late Buffett, who died unexpectedly in July 2004, was a civil rights and contraceptive advocate.

Vilsack, who has spent her adult life working for and on behalf of the state's adolescents, said the program is extension of what she's already accomplished.

"Everything I've done in my life is about empowering young people to make wise decisions and giving them the tools to do that," Vilsack said in a telephone interview today. "Everything I've done has been about building things and being creative -- building something from the beginning and working with adolescents, particularly adolescent women to build physically and emotionally healthy women. I think that's at the heart of a strong society."

According to the Guttmacher Institute, only half of Iowa counties have at least one family planning clinic. The institute, a national, non-profit group that tracks reproductive health services, determined there are 327,580 women in Iowa who are in need of contraceptive services and supplies. Iowa is ranked overall in 36th place in terms of how well the state is meeting existing needs for subsidized contraceptive services and supplies, whether laws and policies are likely to facilitate access to contraceptives and information, and the extent to which the state devotes its own revenues to support delivery of publicly supporter contraceptives and services. Iowa ranks 48th in the nation for making family planning services available.

"As a woman, teacher and mother, I believe we have a responsibility to give every woman in the state the knowledge and means to prevent pregnancy," Vilsack said.

Reducing unintended pregnancy, she said, may also reduce the number of abortions in the state. Currently, between 10 and 12 percent of all pregnancies in Iowa end in abortion.

Vilsack praised the state legislature for passing a bill last year that called for all sex education in Iowa schools to be medically- and scientifically-based.

"There is federally money that comes [into Iowa] for abstinence education, but we know that abstinence education doesn't work," she said. "Fourteen states so far have refused that federal money. That's pretty amazing because states, when they can get federal money, like to take it. But since abstinence programs don't work, there's now a movement among states to just decline the money -- although Iowa has not."

Iowa receives money through two abstinence streams -- Title V, Section 510 and the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (Family Youth Services Bureau). The Title V monies -- just over $300,000 per year -- are given to the State Department of Health for abstinence advocacy and redistribution to other groups. The other stream is a new addition to the state and came in the form of a $600,000 non-matching grant to Bethany Christian Services of Northwest Iowa.

Vilsack is currently in the process of staffing the organization's offices, located at 300 E. Locust St. in Des Moines' East Village. She is also joined by a board of 10 that includes health care professionals, businesswomen, people of faith and former legislators. In the coming months, Vilsack intends to speak to various civic and social groups about the organization and its mission.

"[Unintended pregnancy] touches an emotional chord," she said. "I think in every room that I speak in, those listening are going to think of someone they know who's affected by this issue. I think it is a conversation we need to have, and one that will maybe make some people uncomfortable. But, we need to talk about it because it is impacting individuals, it is impacting communities and it is also impacting taxpayers. For young teenagers, it is costing taxpayers over $80 million dollars a year. We don't know what the costs are for 18- to 30-year-olds."

The following press release just landed in my inbox:

Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, the most outspoken advocate in the Presidential field and in Congress for election integrity, paper-ballot elections, and campaign finance reform, has sent a letter to the New Hampshire Secretary of State asking for a recount of Tuesday's election because of "unexplained disparities between hand-counted ballots and machine-counted ballots."

"I am not making this request in the expectation that a recount will significantly affect the number of votes that were cast on my behalf," Kucinich stressed in a letter to Secretary of State William M. Gardner. But, "Serious and credible reports, allegations, and rumors have surfaced in the past few days ... It is imperative that these questions be addressed in the interest of public confidence in the integrity of the election process and the election machinery - not just in New Hampshire, but in every other state that conducts a primary election."

Also, the reports, allegations, and rumors regarding possible vote-count irregularities have been further fueled by the stunning disparities between various "independent" pre-election polls and the actual election results," Kucinich wrote. "The integrity, credibility, and value of independent polling are separate issues, but they appear to be relevant in the context of New Hampshire's votes."

He added, "Ever since the 2000 election - and even before - the American people have been losing faith in the belief that their votes were actually counted. This recount isn't about who won 39% of 36% or even 1%. It's about establishing whether 100% of the voters had 100% of their votes counted exactly the way they cast them."

Kucinich, who drew about 1.4% of the New Hampshire Democratic primary vote, wrote, "This is not about my candidacy or any other individual candidacy. It is about the integrity of the election process." No other Democratic candidate, he noted, has stepped forward to question or pursue the claims being made.

"New Hampshire is in the unique position to address - and, if so determined, rectify - these issues before they escalate into a massive, nationwide suspicion of the process by which Americans elect their President. Based on the controversies surrounding the Presidential elections in 2004 and 2000, New Hampshire is in a prime position to investigate possible irregularities and to issue findings for the benefit of the entire nation," Kucinich wrote in his letter.

"Without an official recount, the voters of New Hampshire and the rest of the nation will never know whether there are flaws in our electoral system that need to be identified and addressed at this relatively early point in the Presidential nominating process," said Kucinich, who is campaigning in Michigan this week in advance of next Tuesday's Presidential primary in that state.