March 2008 Archives

An ongoing Linn County war of words has taken a step into the realm of action as Auditor Joel Miller, a Democrat, has requested Supervisor Linda Langston, also a Democrat and chairwoman of the board, to recuse herself from upcoming hearings.

In a letter dated March 29, Miller wrote that Langston should recuse herself from any hearing being convened in relation to Lyle K. Hanson's affidavit of candidacy. Hanson, another Democrat, has filed to oppose Miller in the June 3 primary. Miller also requested that no member of the current Board of Supervisors, all three Democrats, serve on the hearing panel.

"I just don't think it would be proper for them to serve," Miller said in a telephone interview Monday morning. "I believe they are prejudice, and the reasons I believe so are fully outlined in the letter."

Miller lists seven reasons in his letter why the supervisors -- Langston, Lu Barron and James Houser -- should not be on the panel. Those reasons include the "persistent rumor" that either Langston or other members were involved in recruiting Hanson to run against Miller in the upcoming Democratic primary. Miller provides an example of Hanson attending a large civic club function as the guest of either Langston or Barron as evidence of their contact with Hanson prior to him filing his candidacy papers.

Miller also objects to the trio serving on the panel because, he said, all three supervisors signed Hanson's nomination petition.

"Prior to you and Supervisor Barron signing Mr. Hanson's nomination papers on March 17, 2008, Mr. Hanson had gathered only 15 signatures," Miller wrote. "Conversely, I could not find any [Board of Supervisors' signatures] on my nomination papers."

Both Langston and Barron recently had to re-file the nomination papers due to errors. Miller says that Langston "took immediate ownership of the defect" in her filing, but that Barron "immediately laid blame" on the Auditor's Office for the error on her papers. John Erceg, Republican candidate for supervisor in district two, pointed out that Barron's signature sheets had no primary dates on them, and that Langston's date read 2007. The omissions and errors left both Langston and Barron scrambling to garner 100 signatures on the final day of the filing period.

"Based upon your recent experience with defective paperwork, if you and/or another member of the [Board of Supervisors] played any part in recruiting or promoting Mr. Hanson, I believe you will be sympathetic to him when rendering a decision at the objection hearing," Miller concluded.

The hearing panel is scheduled to meet Thursday afternoon. Members of the existing panel are Langston, County Attorney Harold Denton and County Treasurer Michael Stevenson. Law requires that three elected county officials serve on the panel. If all three supervisors do not serve, the third slot could be filled by Sheriff Don Zeller or Recorder Joan McCalmant. Although Miller would also be eligible to serve, it is doubtful he would, given that the objections in question pertain to his primary opponent.

The letter requesting Langston recuse herself is the latest in a year-long string of barbs between the Democratic county officials. The battles have been spawned, at least in part, in relation to the voter-approved increase of the Board of Supervisors from three to five members. The process, pushed and promoted primarily by Republicans, has been fraught with high emotions -- many times leaving otherwise like-minded county officials on opposite ends of disagreements. From the re-districting to determining the electorate of each district to, most recently, county official compensation, residents have watched both the drama unfold and the gap widen.

A Charles City man who had a domestic abuse assault misdemeanor conviction and then possessed a gun was sentenced this week to nearly four years in federal prison.

Michael Zubrod, 34, received the prison term after a Dec. 28, 2007 guilty plea to one count of being a domestic abuse misdemeanant in possession of a firearm. He was convicted in Cerro Gordo County in March 2004 of misdemeanor domestic assault without intent causing injury.

On the morning of May 31, 2007, Chickasaw County law enforcement were called the rural residence of Zubrod's father. It was reported that Zubrod was "out of control." When deputies arrived, the suspect was agitated, sweating and under the influence of drugs. Deputies were able to restrained Zubrod after a about a 10 minute struggle and transport him to a hospital.

The subsequent search of the rural property included a camper used by Zubrod. A Springfield 120A .22 rifle, ammunition and documents related to Zubrod were found inside. Under federal law, it is illegal for someone with a state domestic violence misdemeanor conviction to possess a firearm or ammunition. There is no such prohibition under Iowa law.

Zubrod was sentenced in Sioux City by U.S. District Court Judge Mark Bennett to 46 months imprisonment. In addition, a special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release following his prison term. The federal system has no option of parole. Currently, Zubrod is being held by the U.S. Marshal's Office, pending transportation to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Asst. U.S. Attorney Bob Teig as a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a cooperative local, state and federal program aimed at the enhanced prosecution of gun crimes. Teig serves with U.S. Attorney Matt Dummermuth in the Northern District of Iowa office.

As I noted in the earlier live blog, I planned to give an update on the Linn County races, since the filing deadline only recently passed. In looking at the information Auditor Joel Miller and his staff have provided on the county website there is really no reason for me to attempt to recreate the chart here. Click over on the above link to see the full list of candidates.

There are seven available slots -- auditor, sheriff and five county supervisors. In total, 23 people have filed. The gut-wrenching part for me personally is that only four women have stepped forward to run for county office -- two of them running against one another in a Democratic primary. The women are:

• Lu Barron (incumbent) - Supervisor District 1
• Linda Langston (incumbent ) - Supervisor District 2
• Bernita Rozinek - Supervisor District 2
• Mary Lundby (current Iowa senator) - Supervisor District 4

Just moments ago, the Linn County Democratic Central Committee voted by unanimous consent to elect Diane Hoffmann, a city council woman from Mount Vernon, as the new county chairwoman. Outgoing Chairman Mike Robinson did not seek re-election as he will oppose Kraig Paulsen in House District 35.

Robinson, accompanied by members of his family, provided his final remarks as chairman before relinquishing the podium to Hoffmann.

The group will now consider the two candidates for first vice chair -- Brett Nilles and Joe Michalec. Niles, an active newcomer to the county party, just provided his allotted two minutes of introduction. Joe Michalec, a long-time Democrat and party activist is now providing his introductory comments.

The voting is taking place by ballot and, as is the Democratic way, will take several minutes. In the interim I can note that the Central Committee members voted to approve a Constitution change tonight. The change essentially changes the biennial meeting to odd-numbered years. So, those elected tonight will stand for re-election one year from now.

Let's see... the roll call for ballot dispersal continues and we are now up to those who have a last name that begins with the letter "G." I'll check back in once the balloting is complete.

7:54 p.m. -- Just to let you know: we are now up to the letter "S."

8 p.m. -- The ballots have all been picked up and are being counted. While the rules folks are counting Norm Sterzenbach is providing the membership information on the Democratic National Convention, national delegates and, of course, super delegates.

8:10 p.m. -- The winner is: Brett Nilles. It is likely that all remaining officers will be elected by unanimous consent.

Second vice chair is once again Norm Sterzenbach... newly elected secretary is veteran Joe Stutler... D.J. Arnold will once again serve as treasurer... and Kay Hale will once again be the organization's financial secretary.

8:15 p.m. -- Linn County Auditor Joel Miller is now swearing in the new executive board.

The group is now back to the regular agenda... to the point where the group gets candidate updates. Linda Langston came to the podium and announced that tomorrow in the paper most will learn that both she and Lu Barron had errors or their original filing papers and had to race around today for signatures so that they could re-file before the 5 p.m. deadline. (Either later tonight or tomorrow morning, I'll have a listing of how the county races are shaping up.)

Lu Barron and Jim Houser, both sitting members on the board, gave brief campaign updates. Don Gray, the mayor of Central City, plans to face Mary Lundby, current Iowa senator, for a supervisor seat.

Larry Wear of the Center Point area, is now providing an introduction for his campaign for supervisor district 5. Wear says he served on the school board and has a rural background.

Lyle Hanson, a candidate for Linn County auditor, is providing an introduction. I've never seen Hanson at one of the county meetings. Joel Miller, current auditor, follows quickly at the podium with his own introduction. Miller has strong words in relation to "loyal opposition" and the fact that he feels those elected to county offices -- auditor, sheriff, recorder, attorney -- do not serve the board of supervisors.

Miller also provides information from I-Voters about his opponent. According to Miller, Hanson has previously voted in Republican primaries and, it appears, only became a Democrat at the Jan. 3 caucus. Following this, Miller lists his own contributions, both to his office and to party. "I've paid my dues," Miller said.

Hoffmann brings another supervisor candidate, Ben Rogers, to the podium for an introduction and remarks. He is hoping to serve in district 3.

Next up is Brian Gardner -- candidate for Linn County sheriff. He has served for 28 years in the sheriff's office.

8:48 p.m. -- I had to step out for several minutes and missed quite a few of the candidates. Currently, Gretchen Lawyer who is a candidate for Swati Dandekar's Iowa House District (36) is providing introductory comments to the group. Those I missed were: Nate Willems (seeking the seat currently held by Ro Foege) and Robinson (who spoke earlier and is running for HD 35).

We are already well past our typical 9 p.m. ending time and have only made it halfway through the agenda. Since the remaining items are general reports and other typically non-interesting business, I'm going to end the live blog. My personal applause to all of those who stepped up tonight.

It was only last fall that Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, took an unpopular party stance against Pres. George W. Bush's domestic health care policy. Grassley took some hits on the Hill as a result of his stand, but one Iowa group wants him to know they appreciate his effort.

Iowa for Health Care met Grassley during a stop in Linn County on Tuesday to thank him for his "leadership on positive health care reform" and to ask him to continue to fight for the issue.

Grassley not only voted in 2007 to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to cover nearly 4 million more uninsured children throughout the nation -- a figure that included thousands in Iowa -- but took a notably activist stance, circumventing House Republican leadership, to recruit rank-and-file Republicans to rally against the wishes of the White House.

"It makes no sense to negotiate with members who are trying to kill the bill," Grassley explained on the Senate floor when describing his actions in relation to SCHIP. He went on to call Republican criticisms of the legislation "a very sad mischaracterization of the bill."

"Sen. Grassley took the moral stance on the SCHIP issue," said Mary Sclichte. "Not only did he vote for the bill's greatest expansion, he openly supported it. He stood up for what was right, and that means a lot to the people of Iowa."

This year Grassley has co-sponsored the Nursing Home Transparency and Improvement Act, a bill that seeks to improve nursing home care by providing transparency, accountability and enforcement.

Iowa for Health Care represents 32,000 members and is a part of Americans for Health Care, the largest grassroots health care reform organization in the country and a project of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The group also plans to visit with Grassley during his stops in Scott and Cedar counties on Thursday.

Only two steps remain in the legislative quest to require insurance companies to provide coverage of vaccinations for the human papillomavirus, the major cause of cervical cancer.

The proposed bill was passed by an 81-16 vote of the Iowa House last week and referred to the Senate Human Resources Committee. All 16 House members opposing the measure were Republicans, six of them women.

Tuesday morning, the Senate committee, chaired by Assistant Majority Leader Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, approved the measure and sent it on to the full Senate floor. The bill will need to pass through the Senate -- something that is considered likely -- and will need to be signed by Gov. Chet Culver. The law would take affect for third-party payment provider contracts, policies or plans delivered, continued or renewed in the state after Jan. 1, 2009.

"Cervical cancer is preventable," Bolkcom said. "The HPV vaccine is the best defense. This bill will ensure that health insurers make the HPV vaccine available and affordable to Iowa women. I expect the Senate to approve this bill soon."

The bill, the successor to HSB 566, is supported by the Iowa Osteopathic Medical Association, Child and Family Policy Center, the Iowa Academy of Family Physicians, the Family Planning Council of Iowa, the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa, the Iowa Medical Society and the American Cancer Society. It is opposed by Golden Rule Insurance, the Iowa Christian Alliance and Iowa Right to Life.

For the most part, insurance companies -- many of which already provide coverage for the vaccine -- have remained neutral about the bill.

"Really this is about the state making a long-term commitment to women," said Kyle Carlson, staff attorney for PPGI. "This is the state saying that it is going to prevent cervical cancer as a matter of policy rather than leaving it to market forces."

Genital HPV infection is a sexually transmitted disease that is caused by human papillomavirus, a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different strains. The disease is spread by genital contact. All types of HPV can cause mild Pap-test abnormalities that do not have serious consequences. Roughly 10 out of the 30 identified genital HPV types can lead to development of cervical cancer.

In June 2006, the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer and other diseases in females caused by HPV was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vaccine protects against four HPV types, which altogether cause 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts. The vaccine was subsequently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26. The vaccine is given through a series of three shots during a six-month period.

While there is no doubt the vaccination could save the lives of girls if it is provided before they become sexually active, social conservatives have argued that immunizing teens could encourage sexual activity and provide a false sense of protection against other sexually transmitted infections.

"I think we can reassure [those who worry about promiscuity] that there isn't a cause-effect relationship," said Dr. John Seffrin, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. "To put it in another way, the threat of getting cancer has not prevented people from engaging in sexual activity. More importantly, we've found that if you want people to take up an effective measure, you don't ram it down their throat. You provide it and educate people."

Roughly a week before the final primary filing period ended, the state legislative races were number-crunched in relation to gender. At that snapshot in time, it seemed that Iowa might, at best, maintain its mediocre record in terms of percentage of women serving in Des Moines. What a difference a week can make.

While it's difficult to craft a political crystal ball in the best circumstances, the primary filings, based on their sheer numbers, are good news for women, and that's something that has leadership in both political parties optimistic.

A total of 34 women currently serve in the Iowa Legislature. There are 28 women in the House and six in the Senate. Percentagewise, that places Iowa at 23 percent -- roughly the national average. In contrast, however, the percentage was the highest in Iowa history.

"Two thousand and six was a historic year for Democratic women in the Iowa House of Representatives," said Speaker Pro Tempore Polly Bukta, D-Clinton. "A record number were elected, and we saw many firsts. For the 2007-2008 sessions, 40 percent of committee chairs were women -- with three of those women chairing the key committees of agriculture, appropriations, and commerce for the first time in the history of the House. Three women also make up 50 percent of the leadership team. We have strong women coming through the ranks who want to serve and are ready to lead.

"We have worked hard this cycle to recruit more women to run this fall. There are presently a record 17 Democratic women serving in the House of Representatives. Fifteen of these women are running for reelection. Two members are running for the Iowa Senate. We could possibly end up with another record breaker if our five women recruits end up in the win column this coming November."

Initial reports in relation to the 2008 election were not optimistic -- retirements and chamber switches alone placed seven seats currently held by women in jeopardy -- but a multitude of women filed candidacy papers, many of them at the last moment. If all the women who have filed go on to win their campaigns, Iowa would experience one of the largest surges of female participation in a state Legislature that has ever been witnessed. In fact Iowa has the potential of seating a total of 53 women -- 11 in the Senate and 42 in the House. It's a statistic that would catapult Iowa from middle of the road to one of the top five slots in the national rankings.

"We're thrilled about the opportunity to build on the diversity within our caucus," said Speaker of the House Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque. "We set a new record for the number of women in the Iowa House last year at 26 and a new record for the number of minorities with five. We look forward to building on that progress in 2008 and making the Iowa House more reflective of the people of Iowa."

From the other side of the political aisle, Assistant Minority Leader Linda Upmeyer, R-Garner, echoed the enthusiasm.

"We have several great women running this year -- incredibly motivated, strong women who have stepped up to run for office," Upmeyer said. "I'm very excited about these women, not based on gender, but because they are just great candidates all around."

For those who like to look at the horse race of politics, there are currently five seats held by women in the Iowa Senate that will most likely be held by women when the 2009 legislative session begins. Four of those seats -- three Democratic and one Republican -- are not slated to be on the upcoming ballot. One Republican senator -- Pat Ward in District 30 -- will not have an opponent unless the Democrats hold a special nominating convention.

Similarly, there are nine seats in the Iowa House currently held by women that will mostly likely continue to be held by women. Seven of those seats belong to members of the Democratic Party while two of the seats have both Democratic and Republican women as candidates.

Looking at only the legislative races involving women, the Democratic Party has the potential of picking up 11 seats in the House and two in the Senate. Republicans have the potential of picking up seven seats in the House and one in the Senate. In addition there are two races in each chamber that could go either Republican or Democratic while still being served by a woman.

A likely scenario, given that the vast majority of retirements were Republican women, is fewer women serving on the GOP side. In addition Democratic women candidates outnumber their Republican counterparts by nearly 2-to-1. Most Republican candidates have also committed to challenging incumbents. Historically in Iowa as well as nationally, voters tend to favor incumbents over challengers -- regardless of gender or party. The most likely overall scenario, however, is a higher percentage of seats in the hands of female legislators.

When it comes to feminine influence in state legislatures, even a small percentage change can make a huge difference in political tone and discourse. As far back as 1991, then Georgetown University professor Sue Thomas found that women legislators are more likely to introduce bills concerning women, children and families than are men, and that women are more successful in passing such bills. She also found that greater percentages of women in the Legislature (and the presence of women's caucuses) make it more likely that women legislators will introduce and pass bills involving women, children and family issues. Based on her research, legislatures made up of predominantly men may raise similar issues, but will not provide the same nature of debate and/or character of legislation as would a body with a higher female population.

Thomas' findings have been repeated by women politicos for nearly two decades. Most recently the sentiments was given a voice by Madeleine May Kunin, a former Democratic governor of Vermont, ambassador to Switzerland and author, as she discussed differences between the results of the 2008 Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primary.

"When researching my forthcoming book, I concluded that electing women is contagious. The more you see, the more you get," she said. "... These elected women serve as powerful role models for other women, who see them in action and ask themselves, why not? They have the further effect of demonstrating to the voters that the diversity that women bring to the political process has its rewards: new ideas, priorities and leadership styles."

Democratic races to watch:

• House District 13 -- Retired Mason City educator Sharon Steckman is making a bid for an open seat.
• House District 36 -- Current stay-at-home mom and former educator Gretchen Lawyer has set her sights on the Marion seat being vacated by Rep. Swati Dandekar. (Dandekar is launching a senatorial campaign for the seat being vacated by Sen. Mary Lundby, a longtime public servant who is hoping for a slot on the newly expanded Linn County Board of Supervisors.) Lawyer will face Marion City Councilman Nick Wagner, who launched an unsuccessful bid for the same seat against Dandekar in 2006.
• House District 81 -- Phyllis Thede, who was narrowly defeated in a 2006 senatorial bid, will face Republican incumbent Jamie Van Fossen. An employee of Davenport Community School District and community activist, Thede is expected to do well.
• House District 50 -- Community activist and small-business owner Kristin Roberts will work to overthrow Republican incumbent Dave Tjepkes. Roberts earned local respect and name recognition when she raised funds to restore the Dr. George Gallup home in Jefferson.
• House District 71 -- Speaking of name recognition, Pat Van Zante has it in droves. She's a social worker and has been extremely active in the Pella community. Currently, Republican incumbent Jim Van Engelenhoven faces a primary opponent, Mark Held.

Republican races to watch:

• House District 44 -- Alden farmer Annette Sweeney battles Tim Hoy for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Polly Granzow.
• House District 7 -- Esterville small-business owner Deb Satern challenges Democratic incumbent Marcella Frevert.
• House District 37 -- Mount Mercy College adjunct professor Renee Schulte, who launched a close but unsuccessful bid for Iowa Senate in 2006, challenges incumbent Art Stead.
• House District 43 -- Jan Jeck, a Marshalltown Community College trustee, takes on incumbent Mark Smith.
• House District 31 -- Dena Hines, an at-large city councilwoman from Monticello, challenges incumbent and Iraq war veteran Ray Zirklebach.

Be sure to keep your eyes focused on our pages as well. In the coming weeks, we will bring you profiles of each of the women candidates.

Table 1 -- Current Iowa Legislative Female Representation

Table 2 -- Potential Iowa Legislative Female Representation

Table 3 -- "Safe" Seats for Women

Table 4 -- Potential Seat Pick-Ups

Table 5 -- Senate Races

Table 6 -- House Races

An Ottumwa ophthalmologist made her history-changing quest official this morning.

Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks announced that she will seek the Republican nomination in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. The retired Army Reserve lieutenant colonel will first face fellow Republicans Peter Teahen of Cedar Rapids and Lee Harder of Hillsboro in a primary contest before facing incumbent Congressman Dave Loebsack of Mount Vernon. If successful in both the June primary and November general election, Miller-Meeks would become the first woman ever sent by Iowans to Congress.

During her bid announcement this morning, Miller-Meeks seemed focused on the general election contest.

"We have a congressman who campaigned in 2006 as an 'agent of change,'" she said. "Health care costs are still spiraling out of control; reimbursement rates for our rural areas are still lagging; fundamental earmark and spending reform is blocked; our borders are still porous and our national security threatened; and our Social Security system is closer to financial calamity. The only thing that has changed in the last two years is our Congressman. He's morphed from an agent of change to an agent of the status quo."

She believes her experiences as a doctor, veteran and nurse give her a unique perspective on how to solve problems facing Iowa.

"My life's experiences have taught me to think critically about the issues, to provide independent solutions and, most importantly, to be honest and straightforward in my advice. That is the way I will conduct myself as a representative in Congress, and I think the people of the 2nd District deserve nothing less," she said.

Miller-Meeks is a resident of Ottumwa, and is the first woman and immediate past president of the Iowa Medical Society. She served for eight years as a surgical nurse in the Army and for 14 years as a doctor in the Army Reserve. She is a 1976 graduate of Texas Christian University and a 1986 graduate of the University of Texas Medical School. She completed her residency in ophthalmology at the University of Iowa in 1991 before joining the faculty of the University of Michigan. In 1994, she was recruited back to the University of Iowa and directed the primary eye care and cataract services there until joining Dr. Norman Hutchison and Dr. Gregory Thorgaard in 1997.

She and her husband, Curt, have two sons -- one a senior at Ottumwa High School and another studying at Colgate University in New York. More information can be found on her campaign website.

Cedar Rapids -- Women for Peace Iowa will hold a vigil Tuesday, March 25, in downtown Cedar Rapids to commemorate the cost of life associated with the war in Iraq. The gathering will begin at 7 p.m.

Participants will first gather at the Tree of the Five Seasons, located at the intersection of First Avenue and First Street in downtown, for songs and an open microphone. Later the group will spread across the First Avenue Bridge for a silent candlelight vigil.

Ames -- Participants will gather for what has become an annual event recognizing the anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq. The Ames Peace Rally will begin at the Lincoln Center Hy-Vee parking lot on the corner of Lincolnway and Grand. Participants will then march to the Iowa State University Memorial Union where a peace fair and program will be held in the Great Hall.

The program, which begins at 7 p.m., is open to the public. Speakers will include, Angela Campbell, co-founder of Dickey and Campbell Law Firm from Des Moines (Campbell served as an assistant federal public defender where she served as counsel to four detainees being held at Guantanamo Bay); State Representative Ako Abdul-Samad from Des Moines (Abdul-Samad is an author, photographer and counselor); William Meyers, Marine Corp Veteran currently living in Boone Iowa; and Terri Jones, mother of US Army Specialist Jason Edward Cooper (Cooper took his life on July 14, 2005, the result of untreated PTSD.)

Sponsors of the event, many of whom will be providing information at the peace-fair type atmosphere in the Great Hall include: ACLU, Alliance for Global Justice, American Friends Service Committee, Americans United for Change, Ames for Darfur, Ames Friends Meeting, Ames High Progressives, Ames Progressive, Catholic Peace Ministry, Catholic Workers, Cedar Valley United for Peace and Justice, Central Iowa Operation Democracy, Des Moines Ecumenical Committee for Peace, Iowa Citizen Action Network, ISU Democrats, Methodist Federation for Social Action-Iowa Chapter, Moveon.org, Onion Creek Farms, Progressive Coalition of Central Iowa, Socialist Workers, STAR-PAC, Story County Democrats, University of Iowa Anti-War Committee, Time for Peace, Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Working Families Win.

The goal of the 2008 Ames Peace Rally is to express the urgency of ending the war in Iraq as quickly and safely as possible, and to recognize the tragic consequences of the war. In addition to ending the war, the peace communities of Central Iowa insist that it is essential to create a sustainable culture of peace, dissent, and nonviolence.

Iowa City -- Following a full week of reflection being billed as "Peace Week," a rally will be held on Saturday. It will begin with music and speakers at the Pentacrest in front of the Old Capitol Building (on the University of Iowa campus). The march through downtown will follow.

A brunch and sign-making will be held at 11 a.m. before the event at the Women's Resource and Action Center. It is sponsored by Iowa Women Initiating Social Change. The rally and march are co-sponsored by the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance and UI Antiwar Committee.

In checking the site statistics, I've noticed that several different IP addresses (most of them hailing from either Iowa City or Des Moines) have been accessing a part of the site that, although not password protected, was never really intended for public consumption -- until today.

Last fall while covering the presidential candidates, I developed a calendar of events. Campaign rallies, varied community events and even personal appointments were logged there so that I'd know where I had to go and when I had to be there. As I said above, the calendar was never kept under lock and key, but there was also never a public link to the page. Regardless, some industrious individuals discovered the information and appear to have been using it.

In any event, given the increased activity on the calendar pages... and given the fact that I really didn't like the idea of folks being able to see when it is time for my annual pap smear... a choice had to be made. Should the calendar be refitted for the public or should it be locked down? Since I think the content contained there can be of use to readers (and because I've transferred the personal appointments to private calendar), I've opened it up for public use.

A permanent link has been placed at the bottom of the right sidebar on this page. If any organizations have events that should be on the calendar, just send an email to the webmaster.

As women's history month comes to a close, the Iowa Women's Archives (IWA) goes online. To mark the occasion and unveil the digital collection, the University of Iowa Libraries will celebrate with a reception from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 26 in the North Exhibition Hall of the Main Library.

Through the new digital collection, students and other researchers can now discover stories of remarkable Iowa women from the comfort of home. They can learn about civil rights activism through Fort Madison NAACP newsletters typed by Virginia Harper in the 1960s. The photograph collection of Estefanía Rodriguez reveals life in Holy City, an early 20th century Mexican barrio in Bettendorf. Audio clips and newspaper columns of radio homemaker Evelyn Birkby capture rural life in southwest Iowa at mid-century.

This academic year marks the 15th anniversary of the Iowa Women's Archives, which was founded by Louise Noun and Mary Louise Smith. Two new online resources celebrate their vision: the Iowa Women's Archives Founders Collection and the Iowa Women's Archives Timeline. The Founders Collection includes a scrapbook that chronicles Smith's early involvement in politics, which culminated in her appointment as chair of the Republican National Committee in 1974. Louise Noun's scrapbooks document many aspects of her activism, including her leadership of the Iowa Civil Liberties Union.

These materials are part of the Iowa Women's Archives Digital Collections, a new portal that provides access to the 1,400 Archives items in the Iowa Digital Library. The site, which allows users to browse by subject, time period or document type, is available online. It will be regularly updated with new items drawn from the IWA's 1100 manuscript collections, which have provided valuable primary source materials for books, articles, theses and class projects.

"Not everyone can visit the archives in person. The online collections are a great way to open the archives to a much broader audience, like K-12 students across the state and beyond our borders," said Karen Mason, curator of the Iowa Women's Archives. "It's so cool that a girl in Algona can turn on her computer and find a newspaper clipping about the Des Moines women who supported Shirley Chisholm's presidential campaign in 1972."

The Founders and Iowa Women's Archives collections are the latest additions to the Iowa Digital Library, which contains more than 98,000 digital objects, including photographs, maps, sound recordings and documents from libraries and archives at the UI and their partnering institutions. The Iowa Digital Library also includes faculty research collections and bibliographic tools.

"The Iowa Women's Archives is a gem -- not only for researchers, who can conduct research in a wide range of primary sources, including collections that represent the experiences of African-American and Latina Iowans -- but also for teachers," said Leslie Schwalm, associate professor of history at the UI. "Students in my American history and women's history courses have found the Iowa Women's Archives a wonderful gateway to the past and to the work of the historian. My undergraduate history majors gain a semester's worth of learning in an hour spent at the Iowa Women's Archives: they get to touch and read the letters and diaries and photographs that capture the American past. There is an excitement of discovery and of connection to the past that no textbook or lecture can convey. The Iowa Women's Archives is one of my most valuable resources as a teacher at the University of Iowa."

Sen. Chuck and Barbara Grassley, both graduates of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, have made an endowment gift to the university that will be used to provide a professorship.

"When I was at Iowa State Teachers College, now UNI, I received a world-class education from outstanding professors like Dr. Erma Plaehn, Dr. George Robinson and Dr. Leland Sage," said Sen. Grassley. "Today, faculty members continue a tradition of excellence. Looking ahead, the recruitment of top-notch teachers is fundamental to UNI's strength and the education of the next generation."

Chuck Grassley received a bachelor's degree in political science education in 1955, and a master's degree in social science education in 1956 from the Iowa State Teachers College. Today he is an honorary trustee of the UNI Foundation, an honorary UNI athletics letter winner, and an honorary member of the UNI chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society.

"We received excellent educations and are both proud graduates of UNI," said Barbara Grassley. "Now, as we look to the future of our alma mater, we want to be sure new students have the same kind of opportunities to learn from the best professors, whether the students are recently out of high school like Chuck was, or returning to the classroom after a long absence like me."

Barbara Grassley received a bachelor's degree in accounting from UNI in 1983. She became a UNI student in 1954 but left for 26 years to raise their five children.

The professorship, housed in the Department of Political Science, will be called the Chuck and Barbara Grassley Endowed Professorship in Political Science.

"Through the years, the university has benefited in so many ways from the active involvement of these two wonderful alumni," said UNI President Benjamin Allen. "The engagement and support of people like the Grassleys have helped UNI become one of the leading undergraduate institutions in the country. This endowed professorship will help ensure that the UNI of the future will be an even better place to pursue a top-quality education."

Mass layoffs -- employment terminations that involve at least 50 people from a single employer -- were up nationally in February, and rose to their highest level since September 2005. In Iowa, however, mass layoffs only increased slightly from the same month a year ago.

In February, employers took 1,672 mass layoff actions, seasonally adjusted, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, according to reports from the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The total number of workers involved was 177,374 (seasonally adjusted). February layoff events and associated initial claimants were the highest since September 2005 (which reflected the impact of Hurricane Katrina) and were the highest for the month of February since 2003.

The number of mass layoff events for the month increased by 234 from the prior month, while the number of associated initial claims increased by 33,263. In February, 529 mass layoff events were reported in the manufacturing sector, resulting in 66,913 initial claims. Over the month, mass layoff activity in manufacturing increased by 102 events, and initial claims increased by 11,425.

Iowa recently experienced a small drop in its seasonally adjusted unemployment rate (from 3.8 in December 2007 to 3.6 in January 2008). In terms of mass layoffs, Iowa also currently appears to be faring better than many other states. In February, the Bureau is reporting 16 mass layoff events in Iowa. That's on par with February 2007 when the state experienced 14 such events. It is also a decrease of 10 events from the January 2008 figure of 26.

The 16 events during February in Iowa resulted in 1,885 initial claimants for unemployment insurance. This is down from January 2008 (3,163) and December 2007 (6,337).

California recorded the highest number of initial claims filed due to mass layoff events in February (32,747), followed by Pennsylvania (8,204), Florida (6,572), Illinois (6,344), and New York (5,912). These five states accounted for 56 percent of all mass layoff events and 50 percent of all initial claims for unemployment insurance in February.

The number of initial claimants in mass layoffs increased over the year in 35 states and the District of Columbia, due, in part, to a calendar effect. Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia reported over-the-year increases in average weekly initial claims associated with mass layoffs, led by California (+1,597) and Florida (+660). For both California and Florida, the largest increases in initial claims occurred in administrative and support services. States with the largest over-the-year decreases in average weekly claims were Pennsylvania (-1,091), Wisconsin (-889), Michigan (-751), and Virginia (-721).

Iowans for Voting Integrity and Common Cause applaud the state House of Representatives' passage of Senate File 2347 Thursday night by a 92 to 6 vote. The bill requires all counties to use optical scan voting systems in the November election. Last week, the measure passed the Iowa Senate 47 to 1.

"Along with Iowans statewide, we are relieved to know that one more step has been taken to ensure all Iowans that their vote will be counted fairly and accurately," said Kyle Lobner, Common Cause Iowa organizer.

The bill requires all counties to purchase optical scan voting systems in time for the November election and provides funding for the transition. With optical scan systems, voters mark individual paper ballots by hand or by using an accessible device for voters with disabilities. The paper ballots are then read by an optical scanner and can be recounted by hand. Seventy-eight Iowa counties will be trading in touch screen electronic voting machines as part of the switch.

"The beauty of an optical scan system is that you can get quick, machine-counted results right away, but you can also go back and hand-count enough of the paper ballots to verify that the scanners were properly programmed," said Sean Flaherty, co-chair of Iowans for Voting Integrity. "We are heartened to see a bipartisan push for this measure, as well as the broad support it has from counties and elections officials."

Groups lobbying for the bill included the Iowa State Association of Counties and the Iowa State Association of County Supervisors.

IVI and Common Cause now plan to push for legislation to require routine hand audits of the paper ballots to check the electronic tallies. Even with paper ballots, the vote totals are almost always generated by computer scanners. Last year, a panel of computer scientists that included Microsoft's former security chief Howard Schmidt, University of Iowa voting machine expert Douglas Jones, and scientists from Stanford, MIT, and other institutions concluded that all types of voting equipment used in the United States are vulnerable to error or fraud. Unless election administrators hand-count a sample of ballots to check the electronic tallies, paper ballots "are of questionable security value."

"When a team of the best computer security experts in the world in the world tells us we need to hand count a sample of ballots to be confident of election results, we'd better listen," Flaherty said.

The news is both good and bad, but mostly bad. On average women in Iowa receive 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man. Ironically enough, this is an improvement -- an increase from a similar report done in 1999, which found that women earned 73 cents on the dollar to their male counterparts.

The latest report was released today by Lt. Gov. Patty Judge.

"Though progress has been made, there is still much work to do," Judge said. "Gov. Culver and I are committed to doing everything in our power to give Iowans the tools they need to reach their fullest potential. And for Iowa's women, that begins with paying them an equal salary to men."

In certain employment fields -- architectural and engineering careers, business and financial operations, and computer and mathematical science careers -- the report found little difference in salaries between women and men employees. In other professions, however, the gap was much more evident. Women make significantly less than men in education, health care, management and sales careers.

"While it is encouraging to see the wage gap has closed in a number of career field, Iowa must work to close the gap in remaining areas," said Elisabeth Buck, director of Iowa Workforce Development. "[Our agency] will work diligently with others to ensure all Iowans have the opportunity to reach their potential and be compensated equitably."

Judge, who served as Iowa's first female Secretary of Agriculture, said there is work underway to address this issue.

"To solve this problem, we must start with educating our children," she said. "By implementing a statewide model core curriculum, we will level the playing field for all Iowa students. We may not solve this problem overnight, but together, I know it can be done. The good news for women in Iowa is that there are great jobs coming to our state and employers looking for well-trained employees."

The report was the third to look specifically at issues of gender wage equity over the past 20 years. The initial report, completed in 1993, showed that women were paid 68 cents for every dollar paid to men. The new report became a priority when the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women contacted Iowa Workforce Development and requested it be completed.

"We thought it was important to renew public discussion on this issue, and to get this information into women's hands, especially when they are still young," said Rachel Scott, division administrator of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women. "Women need to understand that, unfortunately, many traditional career choices will not offer them an equal shot at financial stability or success. We need to be looking at a wide variety of new career avenues."

In addition to work-related questions, respondents were asked to report the highest level of education attained. A higher percentage of men reported having a high school diploma or GED (31.4 percent of men to 25.9 percent of women); however, women reported completing higher levels of education than their male counterparts. In every education category following high school completion except attainment of a postgraduate degree, women reported in higher percentages than men.

Further, wages are higher for men even when both the man and the woman have attained the same level of education. For example, of those respondents with an associate degree, men reported receiving a median hourly wage of $17 per hour while women reported receiving $13.60 per hour.

The study also showed that wage disparity differed based on the respondents' geographic region of the state. The highest disparity rates were found in the following counties: Black Hawk, Butler, Bremer, Buchanan, Lucas, Monroe, Wapello, Jefferson, Keokuk, Mahaska, Wayne, Appanoose, Davis and Van Buren. The lowest disparity rates were found in the northeastern counties of Winneshiek, Allamakee, Fayette, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque and Chickasaw.

The study was completed using 2007/2008 Laborshed data consisiting of responses from 5,669 employed respondents. Of the respondents, 59.6 percent were female, 40.3 percent were male and .1 percent refused to identify their gender. Statewide sampling was provided by the University of Northern Iowa's Institute for Decision Making based on population per ZIP code.

This morning University of Iowa President Sally Mason announced the appointment of Susan J. Curry as the new dean of the College of Public Health. Curry, currently direct of the Institute for Health Research and Policy and professor of health policy and administration in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago, will begin her duties in Iowa on August 1.

"Dr. Curry's established expertise in behavioral sciences, proven ability to translate research findings into health policy, and collaborative spirit combine to make her an exceptionally gifted leader," Mason said. "I have confidence that these same qualities will enable her to lead our College of Public Health toward continued excellence at the national and international levels. On behalf of the entire university community, I am delighted to extend our warmest welcome to her."

Interim Executive Vice President and Provost Lola Lopes also praised Curry.

"Susan Curry is an immensely talented administrator and public health professional. We are all delighted that she has accepted our offer of the deanship," said Lopes. "Her work on smoking cessation fits particularly well with our university's commitment to lessening the impact of tobacco on Iowa citizens."

Curry said she is honored to join the university community and lead the continued development of its newest collegiate unit.

"I am tremendously impressed by the breadth and depth of scientific accomplishment at the university and its College of Public Health," Curry said. "There is a clear and strong commitment to public health education and to improving the health of the people of Iowa. I also look forward to the excellent opportunities we have to continue the college's many contributions to national and international health."

Curry's research in tobacco includes studies of motivation to quit smoking, randomized trials of promising smoking cessation and prevention interventions, evaluations of the use and cost effectiveness of tobacco cessation treatments under different health insurance plans, and health care costs and utilization associated with tobacco cessation. Her bibliography includes over 180 publications.

Curry earned her doctorate from the University of New Hampshire in 1981, before completing a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington. She moved to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center where she was a scientist in the country's first Cancer Prevention Research Unit. From the late 1980s until joining the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) in 2001, Curry was professor of health services in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine at the University of Washington and senior investigator and director at the Center for Health Studies, Group Health Cooperative.

As director of the Institute for Health Research and Policy at UIC, Curry has an outstanding track record of fostering cross-campus collaboration on health research, faculty mentoring, collaborating with colleges and departments for faculty recruitment, and ensuring the intellectual and administrative infrastructure that supports six affiliated centers and programs. The institute has over 100 collaborating faculty from 39 departments, representing 11 colleges. In addition to collaborating faculty, more than 100 academic professionals work at the institute in support of more than 70 research projects.

Curry will be the second dean of the College of Public Health, taking over from founding dean James Merchant.

"The University of Iowa is fortunate to have attracted a nationally recognized public health leader of the caliber of Sue Curry," Merchant said. "She brings a well established record of achievement in public health research and policy development that is a particularly good fit for this college. I have every confidence that she will be embraced by our faculty, staff, students, alumni and many stakeholders and that she will lead the college to new levels of distinction in the years ahead."

The College of Public Health, established in 1999, consists of five academic departments -- biostatistics; community and behavioral health; epidemiology; health management and policy; and occupational and environmental health -- and 29 multidisciplinary research centers. It is one of 40 accredited schools of public health nationwide.

Curry joins the following women deans at the University of Iowa: Linda Maxson, dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Sandra Damico, dean of the College of Education, Carolyn Jones, dean of the College of Law, and Rita Frantz, dean of the College of Nursing.

The Iowa Global Warming campaign is back for 2008.

After a short hiatus, Iowa Global Warming is back to work and starting its 2008 campaign. It was a successful 2007, with most of the presidential candidates taking increasingly strong positions on global warming. The group is expanding work to include state and local policies as well as national.

Goals are:

• To get people involved as effectively and easily as possible, even if they only have a minute to give.
• To create a "buzz" for global warming solutions through public events, word of mouth and media attention.
• To provide opportunities to get together, meet new people and have fun.
• And, most importantly, to make sure elected officials make global warming solutions and priority.

In that spirit, you are invited to Iowa Global Warming's official campaign kickoff today -- St. Patrick's Day -- "You don't have to be Irish to go Green." Free admission to see "Leonardo DeCaprio's the 11th Hour." The film's web site has more information.

The event will take place tonight from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Billy Joe's Picture Show at 1701 25th St., West Des Moines. Admission is free as are appetizers, popcorn and beverages. There will also be other food and drink specials.

Individuals who would like more information on Iowa Global Warming are encouraged to visit the organization's web site.

A bubble gum blast from the past for the earworm this week: Debbie Gibson singing "I Get Lost In Your Eyes."

I still love the hair scrunchie on the top of the head. This also the song to which I had my very first heart-pounding, barely-breathing slow dance.

I have to admit that I was little excited when I looked at the primary candidate filings and saw the name Kim Schmett in the 3rd District congressional race. Iowa has yet to send a woman to Congress, and I immediately assumed that this Republican candidate was female. Ahh... no. This Kim is a man. There's a photo and bio at Cyclone Conservatives.

The latest numbers from the Democratic county conventions (held yesterday) are as follows:

• Obama - 25 delegates
• Clinton - 14 delegates
• Edwards - 6 delegates

In addition to these delegates, Iowa also has 12 super delegates for a total of 57.

These figures, of course, reflect a pick-up by the Obama campaign. The other story coming out of the conventions is how well the Edwards delegates held firm. It's surprising given how little instruction they received from the candidate or campaign. To my knowledge, there was only the one email message from campaign co-chairpersons Rob Tully and Roxanne Conlin given to the Edwards delegates by way of instructions.

There's a post on the Women for Peace Iowa blog that has another perspective on the recent Karl Rove visit at the University of Iowa.

The must-read post of the week comes from Diary of an Anxious Black Woman.

... I think about this recent history because, more than 25 years since the first AIDS patient was diagnosed, and more than 20 years since AIDS activism, I am now forced to acknowledge a harsh reality. On this day, National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, AIDS now bears a black female face. Something I never thought would be a reality, back in 1987 when I started high school, when AIDS was this "gay man's disease," even though at that time, black women were already starting to become infected. Unlike gay men in the '80s, however, we are conspicuously silent (or rather "silenced") in mainstream media and within the national conscience. Unlike gay men in the '80s, who had no illusions whatsoever that the rest of the society could and would leave them to die, black women (and women in general) still get lulled into thinking that, as long as we align ourselves within heterosexual patriarchy, we will be protected - not realizing that this has exacerbated the problem. ...

Much more at the link above.

It's no secret that Iowa is one of only two states to never have elected a woman to serve in congress or as governor. The fact was repeatedly thrust in Iowans' faces as they weighed the engorged field of presidential hopefuls throughout 2007. While no one has ever been able to pinpoint an exact reason why the Hawkeye State holds this particular title, one guess has been that Iowa press outlets, having little experience working with women running for high office, might be influencing public perception.

Did gender bias by Iowa members of the media play a role in New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's end result in the first-in-the-nation caucuses?

"I think if you go back to the time when Roxanne [Conlin] ran for governor in 1982, there were definitely news stories about her clothes, her make-up and her hair," said Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, who formerly ran two successful statewide campaigns to serve as Iowa's first female secretary of agriculture. "Even when Bonnie Campbell ran for governor this was the case. When that race ended I remember Bonnie saying that she could finally put on a pair of jeans again without being criticized. For me, however, I think that I was treated fairly well by the media and I don't recall a particular bias."

More than a decade before Judge was elected to her first term as secretary of agriculture, Jo Ann Zimmerman was Iowa's last independently elected lieutenant governor. She was the first woman to hold the position and only the second Democratic office holder in Iowa history to serve with a Republican governor (Terry Branstad). Zimmerman, who is credited with the first successful statewide campaign by an Iowa woman, also points five years before her election to the 1981 and 1982 bid of Roxanne Conlin for governor.

"I wasn't treated by the press in the way that they treated Roxanne," Zimmerman said. "I mean, they talked about her clothes and her hair all the time. The press didn't do that so much with me. I think that was because [Roxanne] was the first woman from one of the major parties run for governor. She made it through a primary and, well, they just didn't know how to cover her. And, at that time, they were pretty much all male reporters. So, they discussed her hair and her clothes instead of the issues in the campaign."

Zimmerman said she'd like to report that those biases had changed, but there are still times they creep into news coverage. She said that the media did "better" while reporting on Clinton during the recent Iowa caucuses.

"We still have some who will revert to looking at standards instead of at the person," she said. "They forget exactly how they are stating something, so they state it from the male point of view. ... That carries over and some people don't even realize they are using bias."

Zimmerman says she's optimistic about change as more women join predominantly male newsrooms, but she doesn't expect gender bias to just go away because women are helping to report.

"Even the women who are reporting now, they still key off of past statements that are more male oriented," she said. "But overall I think the press did a better job of covering Hillary while she was in Iowa. I definitely feel that the state media has done a much better job than the national media.

"It's difficult because I don't think the media realizes they are writing from a bias because they've always heard and seen things in the same way. Are we 'manning' a desk or are we 'staffing' a desk? It's the everyday thing. That's what we face."

Subtle or more open, Iowans might soon have a definitive answer to the question of if the media perpetrated gender bias during the course of build-up to the Iowa caucuses. Dianne Bystrom, director of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University, is working on a study of Iowa and New Hampshire media that she anticipates publishing in late summer or early fall.

"Overall, if you are just looking at the Iowa media, I think they did a pretty fair job of covering the candidates that came through Iowa," Bystrom said. "I would say it was actually a more fair job with less gender bias than what we see at the national level -- primarily in television reporting."

Bystrom said if she was to look for fault in media coverage, she would point to the final coverage on caucus night.

"Something that really struck me was the reporting of the results of the Democratic race compared to the reporting of the results of the Republican race," she said. "When you looked at the Des Moines Register, they basically listed [former Arkansas Gov. Mike] Huckabee first, [former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt] Romney second and then [Arizona Sen. John] McCain and [former Tennessee Sen. Fred] Thompson in a tie for third. But if you actually went to the Republican Party site, you saw that either McCain or Thompson received several hundred more votes than the other. It wasn't really a tie, yet it was reported as such.

"On the Democratic side, the media was reporting the horse race -- [Illinois Sen. Barack] Obama first, [former North Carolina Sen. John] Edwards second and Clinton third. But, if you actually visited the Democratic Party's site, you'd learn that Edwards had only .28 percent more of a delegate than Clinton did. Yes, the Iowa caucus really did elevate Obama's campaign. But I also think it wounded the Clinton campaign. ... Although I'm not sure that was because of gender. I'm not sure what caused it."

While Bystrom agreed that the way the Iowa results were reported may have added to the boon the Clinton campaign received after winning New Hampshire, she said she still believes the reporting was disappointing and was a blow to the Clinton campaign.

"Iowa is a much tougher place for a woman to run than is the state of New Hampshire," she said. "If you look at a comparison of women's political participation in the two states it is really quite remarkable."

Although Iowa currently has a record number of women serving in the state legislature, the state percentage is roughly average on a national scale. On the other hand, New Hampshire ranks second in the nation for the number of women serving in the state legislature. New Hampshire has also had a recent woman governor and have elected a woman to congress.

"Women voters in New Hampshire see role models each and every day," Bystrom said. "They see women in the governorship, in the state legislature and in Congress. They see women with political power. We don't see that very often here in Iowa."

Judge, who has been a woman with political power in Iowa, says that often the stress of a campaign might lead a candidate -- male or female -- to feel as if there is a media bias.

"I think when you are running for an office -- particularly when you are in the heat of a campaign -- if your opponent gets more ink than you do, you start to really believe that there is media bias against you or that the media is bias for your opponent," Judge said. "I know that from personal experience because I've felt that. But I think that everything just gets over-exaggerated in your own mind and your staff's minds because you are trying to desperately to win."

Judge also understands the importance of Iowa's young women being exposed to positive political role models of their own gender. She's optimistic that more good things are to come for women in Iowa politics.

"I think the press in Iowa truly understands and took very seriously the state's role with the caucuses," she said. "I think the press and Iowans really tried to take a level approach with the candidates. I've been interviewed many, many times about why I think we are where we are, and if there is some big gender bias within the state. I really do not believe there is. I believe that when the right woman decides to run today -- now this would not be true for Roxanne and Bonnie because I think they really were pioneers -- but when a woman runs today, in the climate we have today with Hillary Clinton being taken as a serious candidate, and does all the necessary background work and planning for that run, she will win. And I think that will be soon."

Don't have time to really dig into this, but we've done so much coverage of FISA and retroactive immunity that I wanted to note this press release from Congressman Leonard Boswell's office:

Today, Congressman Leonard Boswell spoke on the House floor in support of H.R. 3773, the FISA Amendments Act of 2008, which protects America while protecting Americans' civil liberties. The legislation passed by a vote of 213 to 197. The House amendment, representing the latest House effort to move a broad FISA overhaul bill, does not provide retroactive immunity to phone companies, but does provide such immunity for their future cooperation with government requests to assist with electronic surveillance. The bill passed the House by a vote of 213 to 197.

Below are Boswell's remarks:

"In the process of this FISA debate, we have strived to make America safe and protect the civil liberties of Americans. As I have heard Congressman Tierney say at different times, if we had followed FISA, we wouldn't be here today, and I appreciate his remark. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, this President has repeatedly used executive orders to end-run the provisions and protections of FISA.

"Several weeks ago, I became concerned that our private telecom companies might be falsely accused, thus having the effect of putting a chill on their future responses. I felt a gut confidence that pressure was put on them--pressure from the government--we have an emergency, and we, the government, must have your assistance or a terrible event would happen. I think back on my own training in my life, and I know something about those terrible events that could happen, because I put together weapons of mass destruction in my own training.

"So, I like others, signed a letter of concern. By the way, it was not a Blue Dog letter or a Blue Dog Position. It was individuals, some of whom were Blue Dogs.

"Now, over the course of these past weeks, a credit to Chairman Reyes and Chairman Conyers and our super staff, an acceptable solution has been found that updates FISA, supports our intelligence community and givers protection to those who assist within the provisions of the law.

"Those who feel their civil rights have been violated can seek justice, and the telecoms who feel they have complied with the law can be defended. A judge will review the classified evidence and decide. This means to me that the Constitution and civil rights are protected, and the telecoms who are asked or pressured to assist in an emergency can know that classified evidence will be seen by the judge and the provider's defense would be taken into account. I believe this to be a solution.

"In closing, I would say this legislation will protect the Constitution and the American people's civil rights. The bill also gives the intelligence community the tools it needs and gives the telecom companies the means to defend themselves from unfair lawsuits. The bill provides telecom companies a way to present their defense in district court without the Administration using State secrets to block the defense. If a company is simply doing its patriotic duty and following the law, this bill ensures the company will not be punished."

Although there might not be a big rally planned for tonight or any former presidents walking down Main Street, the Hawkeye State has once again become a hotbed of national Democratic political activity.

Tomorrow is the day of Democratic county conventions. While these take place for both Republicans and Democrats throughout the state after every Iowa caucus, most activists cannot remember a time when the results of the conventions could play such an important national role. The caucuses, while highly publicized as the first national pulse in presidential politics, are not the actual mechanism by which delegates to the Democratic National Convention are selected. The selection will take place at the upcoming conventions -- county conventions scheduled for Saturday being the first.

Individuals selected on caucus night to be delegates and alternates to county convention are being targeted once again by presidential hopefuls. Delegates receiving the most attention, however, are those who are currently aligned with former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. Because no delegates are beholden to their caucus night choice and also because Edwards has dropped from the race, the campaigns for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama are both focusing on Edwards delegates in an attempt to increase their own number of national delegates.

As previously reported, the grassroots campaign built in Iowa by the Obama campaign is back in action. For at least the past two weeks, the Obama team has been making contact with convention delegates and alternates to impress upon them the importance of going to their respective county conventions. This week the Clinton campaign also began making its presence known in Iowa once again. Field directors have returned to their caucus areas, local supporters have phoned Edwards delegates to request support and, just yesterday, an automated phone call by Sen. Clinton herself went out to Iowans:

The robocall was followed by another on Thursday night that asked recipients to participate in a conference call on Friday. Once the proper response was entered by keypad, those phoned were told they'd receive a call from a human that provided further information on the conference call. As of 10 a.m. Friday morning, none of our sources who had agreed to participate in the conference call had received further information.

It is unclear how Edwards delegates will align at county conventions. Edwards has not endorsed either of the remaining two candidates and is not expected to do so prior to the convention. Edwards co-chairpersons Rob Tully and Roxanne Conlin have e-mailed Edwards delegates to encourage them to remain true to Edwards throughout the convention process.

... We all know that John was the leader on every issue during the campaign, from health care to climate change to poverty to economic inequality to the need to reduce the influence of money and lobbyists to reducing college costs to restoring America's moral authority in the world and on and on.

In that spirit, this weekend we will be standing up for John Edwards, and we hope you will, too. ...

No doubt there will be some Edwards delegates who are successful at the county level and will travel to district and state conventions with their loyalties intact. It would be surprising, however, if all Edwards delegates remain true. And, when the race for national delegates remains so close, even a handful of Iowa's 57 could be a determining factor.

In the midst of a very busy day -- and, yes, I realize the site does not reflect the amount of work I did today -- I got an email from my sexy husband that contained the following news item out of Ness City, Kansas:

For those who don't like to watch video, the story is of a 35-year-old woman who sat on the toilet in her boyfriend's mobile home for TWO YEARS. (I kid you not -- on the potty for two years.) It's probably safe to say that the woman had some sort of mental illness. The boyfriend reports that he brought her food and water and asked her to come out of the bathroom. She would reply, "Maybe tomorrow."

Law enforcement is still deciding if charges should be filed against the boyfriend for not seeking help earlier. By the time he did call for help, the woman's body had literally grown around the toilet seat. She had to have medical staff remove it and may possibly spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair.

Although it's not unusual for my husband to send me strange news items, this one has me a bit concerned. I'm often out running around with different activities. Some of my friends have even commented how my husband must often feel abandoned. To his credit, he rarely complains... although the last time I went to Des Moines, he made a point of asking if I was coming home.

A friend of mine often says that certain things should just "not be put out there in the universe." By this she means that some of those horrible things that we all worry about should never be given a voice, because, of course, you don't want to give the universe ideas on the best ways to torture you. I feel rather the same way about this news item. I rather wish my husband had never read it. He doesn't need those types of ideas.

In closing, prayers to all who need them in Kansas.

Amber, an 18-year-old high school senior in Cedar Rapids, walked silently down the side of the street for several minutes, chewing on her lower lip and pondering a way to describe how being a young person with a mental illness feels. When she suddenly stopped, it was to point to a collection of ice-encrusted rocks at the edge of a puddle.

"You want to know what it feels like?" she asked while bending down to feel the ice with her fingertips. "It feels like you are frozen in cold, cloudy ice. You sort of see what's going on around you, but not clearly. You don't really hear anything. You are separate from everyone else -- alone."

Amber, who is being treated for bipolar disorder, took two steps away from the icy rocks before turning back. She quickly raised her foot so the heel of her boot could deliver a blow to the ice, freeing the rocks.

"What we need most of all is someone willing to break the ice," she said.

Kathy Dorff, project coordinator for Support a Friend Iowa, said bringing support to young adults with mental illness is the primary goal of a newly launched website by the Iowa Department of Human Services.

"The Web site is basically the cornerstone for an overall campaign -- the Iowa Campaign for Mental Health Recovery," Dorff said. "We developed the site as the cornerstone piece of this particular project because the target audience for the message is young adults, 18 to 25. We know that the Internet seems to be one of the best ways to reach people in that age group."

Site visitors can find explanations of mental disorders that frequently impact young adults, a forum to exchange messages, suggestions on how to begin a conversation and a list of resources.

"Statistics show that young adults, 18 to 25, have a greater likelihood than the general population to suffer from mental illness, but they are also less likely to seek assistance or help for it," Dorff said. "This is a time in life when a lot of young people are just entering their own lives. They are basically either in college or beginning life outside of school. There are a lot of new decisions and perhaps stresses that they are facing. It's a particularly good time to make sure that young adults are staying healthy and on track."

According to information on the site, 27 percent of young adults have diagnosable forms of mental illness. Due to associated stigmas, many do not seek treatment. One the resources available is a list of possible red flags for mental disorders so friends can help motivate friends to talk and seek treatment.

"The main thing we want to do is get the word out to young people that if they, someone in their family or their friend suffers from mental illness, they are not alone," Dorff said. "They should seek help. They should be a friend to the person with a mental illness. There isn't a stigma associated with a mental illness, any more so than there is one for people who suffer from diabetes or heart disease."

In addition to the Web presence, the awareness campaign will also be developing informational brochures and flyers to be distributed at campus health centers and to resident assistants at university dormitories. Although the project has not yet utilized social-networking sites, Dorff says she anticipates that it will in the future.

"We are willing to explore many avenues in order to distribute this message," she said. "It's important for young Iowans to know they aren't alone and to know that they should support a friend with a mental illness just as they would support a friend with any other illness."

The Iowa campaign is in coordination with the national What a Difference a Friend Makes campaign, created by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) in partnership with the National Ad Council. The Iowa project, as well as projects in many other states, operates with a SAMHSA grant.

The 18-year-old Windsor Heights man who allegedly threatened a female University of Northern Iowa student and prompted the lockdown of all residence halls on the Cedar Falls campus is being held in the Polk County Jail on charges of first-degree harassment.

Todd Michael Younk was arrested at his Windsor Heights residence Tuesday night while the UNI campus remained in lockdown. According to Younk's MySpace page he attends Roosevelt High School in Des Moines. Bond has been set at $10,000 on the aggravated misdemeanor. He could pay a fine of up to $5,000 and serve up to two years in prison. It is unclear if Younk had a weapon in his possession at the time of his arrest.

The threats toward a female student who lived in UNI's Dancer Hall were reported to come by phone, both voice and text messages. The threats, deemed credible by campus police, prompted the first-ever use of the university's emergency alert system. Students, faculty and staff were originally warned to stay away from Dancer Hall, a co-educational dormitory that houses approximately 600 students. Later, the alert system advised avoiding the entire Tower complex of which Dancer is a part. Students in the dormitory were told by loudspeaker to lock themselves into their rooms, turn off lights and avoid windows and doors.

University police worked with both the Cedar Falls Police Department and the Iowa Highway Patrol throughout the incident. While law enforcement did not believe Younk to be on campus or even in Cedar Falls from the start of the incident, precautions were taken to protect students. Law enforcement blocked all entrances to Dancer Hall and searched all 12 floors of the building.

In total, the campus remained on lockdown between 2 and 3 hours. The all-clear was not sounded until police confirmed Younk was in custody around 7:50 p.m. Tuesday night.

On Wednesday morning, campus officials were pleased with the performance of their alert system, and grateful that the incident ended without injury. According to UNI spokesman Jim O'Conner, a review of the system -- which had its first full-scale test run at the end of February -- will be completed today.

7:30 p.m. Update: Although residence halls on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls remain in lockdown, a potential threat appears to have been averted. A man who made threats toward a female resident of Dancer Hall is currently being questioned by law enforcement.

7:54 p.m. Update: -- Campus is no longer in lockdown. Official word is released that the suspect was taken into custody in the Des Moines area, roughly a two-hour drive from the UNI campus.

Coverage of the situation as it developed is located below.

The University of Northern Iowa has activated its newly reestablished alert system to warn students to stay away from Dancer Hall due to a report of a weapon on campus.

No other details are yet available.

6:35 p.m. Update: The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier is reporting that all dorms on campus are now locked down due to a possible gunman on campus. Students need to use keys in order to access dorms.

6:45 p.m. Update: A campus spokeswoman said that threat, phoned in to campus authorities, prompted activation of the alert system.

6:49 p.m. Update: A second alert, distributed roughly 30 minutes following the first vague warning about Dancer Hall reads:

"UNI Police have received a threat of a gunman coming to campus to confront a student in Dancer Hall. Dancer Hall is locked down. Please stay away from the towers area -- Dancer Hall, Bender Hall and Towers Center. More updates to follow."

Students located on campus are receiving frequent verbal announcements via audio systems.

7 p.m. Update:A UNI student and friend, both signed up to receive emergency alerts, have stated that the new system worked perfectly. Both received text and voice messages advising them of the potential danger on campus.

Eyewitnesses are also reporting that it was a boyfriend of a Dancer Hall resident who made the threat. The dorm resident is the person who reported the potential danger to the authorities. There is currently no word if the suspected gunman actually entered the campus, but law enforcement continues to hold vigil.

Dancer Hall is located at the north end of campus, near Towers Center and parking lots that serve the Price Lab and Campbell Hall.

UNI officials only recently completed their first full-scale test of the new emergency alert system. Similar to those adopted by the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, the UNI alert system is able to send voice, email and text messages to students, faculty and staff within minutes. Alerts were also integrated to include the UNI homepage and are anticipated to be expanded to include a campus-wide loudspeaker system.

The university's nearly 13,000 students and 2,000 faculty had been updating emergency contact information for more than two months prior to the first full-scale test at the end of February.

The 46-year-old director of the Hardin County Solid Waste Commission has been charged with first degree theft by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Mary Ellen Taylor, an Iowa Falls resident, was charged following an investigation that was prompted by an audit by the Office of the State Auditor. According to official documents (PDF), the audit, which covered a five-year time span, indicated Taylor was responsible for more than $127,000 of un-deposited collections and improper and unsupported disbursements. Taylor, an employee of the commission for more than 10 years, was fired in mid-December after audit findings were reported.

First degree theft is a class 'C' felony. Taylor turned herself into authorities this morning and is currently being held in the Hardin County Jail pending a preliminary court appearance.

Although a few days remain before Iowans will know all the 2008 candidates for the state Legislature, retirements and switches already appear to have taken a toll on the number of women who will be seated in Des Moines when the next legislative session begins.

Women currently occupy 34 of Iowa's 150 legislative seats -- 28 in the House of Representatives and six in the Senate. Five of those have announced retirements at the end of this term:

• Sen. Mary Lundby, R-Marion, District 18
• Rep. Sandy Greiner, R-Keota, District 89
• Rep. Polly Granzow, R-Eldora, District 44
• Rep. Libby Jacobs, R-West Des Moines, District 60
• Rep. Carmine Boal, R-Ankeny, District 70

In addition, two more women -- Reps. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, and Swati Dandekar, D-Marion -- will vacate their House seats to launch bids for open Senate seats.

While highly unlikely, if all the women who have so far filed candidacy papers win their elections, the state would see an increase of six women -- three in each branch -- when the State Legislature convenes in January 2009. Given Iowa's track record for supporting incumbents, a far more likely scenario, however, is the addition of one or two women in the Senate and a loss of four or five female legislators in the House.

Because only half of the seats in the Iowa Senate appear on the ballot every two years, the good news is that four seats currently held by women are not up for re-election. Assistant Majority Leader Amanda Ragan, D-Mason City; Assistant Minority Leader Nancy Boettger, R-Harlan; Sen. Becky Schmitz, D-Fairfield; and Sen. Staci Appel, D-Ackworth, will not appear on the 2008 ballot.

There are no safe seats in the Iowa House, since all 100 districts are up for re-election every two years. Twenty-two of the women currently serving in the House -- six Republicans and 16 Democrats -- intend to stand for re-election. Of those who have had candidates file to run against them, only two -- Rep. Jodi Tymeson, R-Winterset, and Marcella Frevert, D-Emmetsburg -- are facing a female opponents (Maxine Bussanmas and Deborah Satern, respectively). In the Senate the only female incumbent on the ballot is Sen. Pat Ward, R-West Des Moines. At press time, Ward did not have an opponent.

Although all candidate filings are not in, another bright spot appears in Senate District 48, a seat being vacated by current Assistant Minority Leader Jeff Angelo, R-Creston. Republican Kim Reynolds and Democrat Ruth Smith have each filed candidacy papers for the seat.

So far a total of six women have launched bids against male House incumbents. Democrat Anne Marie Fairchild will face Republican Henry Rayhons in House District 11. Democrat Cayla Baresel of Waverly has announced her intention to face Republican Pat Grassley for House District 17. Republican Renee Schulte, who made an unsuccessful bid for Iowa Senate in 2006, will face Democrat Art Staed in House District 37. Democrat Susan Temere will face Republican Ralph Watts in House District 47. Democrat Pat Van Zante will have to wait until a Republican primary decides her opponent in House District 71. Democrat Phyllis Thede, who made an unsuccessful bid for Iowa Senate in 2006, will face Republican Jamie Van Fossen in House District 81.

In House District 7, Democratic incumbent Marcella Frevert is now slated to face Republican challenger Deborah Satern of Estherville. If there are no other filings, this is a seat that will be filled by a woman.

Democrat Sharon Steckman and two male Democrats have filed candidacy papers for House District 13. Only one male Republican has filed for this seat, which is being vacated by incumbent Rep. Bill Schiekel, R-Mason City. In addition one Republican woman, Annette Sweeney, has filed to run in House District 44 (the seat Granzow is vacating). Although no women have filed candidacy papers in House District 27 (the seat Jochum is vacating for her senatorial run), Gretchen Lawyer, a Marion Democrat, has filed to run in House District 36 (the seat Dandekar is vacating for her senatorial run).

As stated earlier, both Jochum and Dandekar will be making bids for open Senate seats. If no additional candidates file in Senate District 48, then that seat will be held by one of the two women who have launched bids. The only other possible senatorial pickup comes in District 40 where Democrat Sharon Savage has launched a bid against incumbent James Hahn, R-Muscatine.

Every so often some of my friends in Oklahoma like to give me a call or shoot me off an email to let me know what I've been missing. Usually these amount to the latest gossip, family announcements and (at least lately) reports of sunshine. When the email arrived tonight, however, it contained a link to a video on YouTube that features a portion of a speech to constituents made by Oklahoma Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City.

For those who don't want to watch the video, here's a sample:

"The homosexual agenda is destroying this nation; it's just a fact."

"I honestly think it's the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam."

"No society that has totally embraced homosexuality has lasted more than, you know, a few decades."

Blunt honesty? I still have family in Oklahoma, many of whom share the views expressed by Kern. I don't find her views nearly as shocking as the fact that most don't understand that they are mainstream for those on the right.

Don't believe me? Kern told The Daily Oklahoman, "I said nothing that was not true, I said nothing out of hate..." She went on to add that the recording was made while she was speaking to "grassroots individuals who are Republicans."

Kern hails from the Woodlawn Park/Bethany area of Oklahoma City. For those of you who are unfamiliar, this is a mostly affluent area west of I-44, north of I-40 and south of Lake Hefner. The proximity to both Lake Hefner and Lake Overholser has raised some property values, but it still has a long way to go in order to reach the extravagance of Nichols Hills (an area of the OKC metro just northeast of Kern's district).

I've gotten some jeers for saying that Iowa is basically the Wonder Bread basket of the Midwest. In my own defense, the statement was made primarily due to culture shock. It is seriously difficult to function in a place that has such a drastically different ethnic make-up than what you have grown accustomed to. I grew up surrounded by a wide variety of skin tones -- and most of Oklahoma is full of many different types of people. The Woodland Park area, however, is Oklahoma's Wonder Bread basket -- sans crust.

To put it all in perspective, however, consider 62-year-old Steven Domer. In November 2007, Oklahoma City law enforcement were called to gather Domer's remains following a brutal death -- a crime that likely began roughly 5 miles from Kern's home. Domer was last seen leaving a gay bar district, and his dumped body -- a wire hanger wrapped around his neck, his body bound with duct tape -- was discovered several days later in McClain County.

The investigation led law enforcement to the home of 37-year-old Darrell Madden. A computer, disks and a spiral notebook labeled "Hitler letter" were seized by search warrant. Police also found burned wires and clothes hangers with duct tape on them. Madden had a MySpace page that listed Adolf Hitler as a personal hero and interests including "securing our white race." When charges were filed, Madden was accused of Domer's death as well as the death of another man, Bradley Qualls. Police believed Domer's murder was meant to be the violent act that earned a place in the United Aryan Brotherhood for Qualls, who died about 10 days after Domer disappeared.

Despite all of the evidence, Madden was not charged with a hate crime. Oklahoma is one of 17 states that does not include sexual orientation or gender identity in its hate crime law. Several bills were written and introduced in the Oklahoma Legislature in an attempt to change the way hate crimes are treated as well as to add sexual orientation to the recognized categories. All have been buried in committee by the Republican leadership.

There is much more that could be written about Kern -- in particular, her bill that requires students to receive a passing grade even if they list their opinions as answers on a fact-finding test -- but the important thing that needs to be said in relation to this video is that words have consequences.

When I first moved to Iowa several years ago, I was asked to name one of the largest differences between this state and my birth state. Although I've seen just as much sexism, racism and other assorted nastiness in both states, the differences lie in how the discrimination is handled. It's been my experience (and I realize I'm painting with a very broad brush) that the further south you travel, the more open and direct discrimination becomes. When I was growing up, people didn't move from a neighborhood because a black family moved in. People confronted the black family and made their life unbearable until they moved. Yet, in Iowa, I've now met two families who quietly moved from their neighborhoods because a black family moved in down the street.

In that sense, even whispers have consequences. There are whispers about reduced property rates, increase crime rates and safety issues. There are whispers about how this group or that group is going to bring an end to my lifestyle, my religious beliefs, my family, my community and my life. Whispers behind closed doors or words spoken on capitol steps, the consequences are the same: hate, fear, violence and division.

That friend that sent me the link to the video? I'd like to write a note back and laugh, say how happy I am to be away from that craziness. But the truth is, I'm not really missing anything. The same misguided and ignorant beliefs are being toss about -- albeit quietly -- right here in Iowa.

Eva Cassidy, live at Blues Alley, singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" --

Eva Cassidy had an amazing voice -- and cancer took her way too soon.

M.R. Field has an excellent wrap up on housing in Iowa at the Around Des Moines blog.

Don at Cyclone Conservatives attended the Story County Republican Convention, while John Deeth attended the Johnson County Republican Convention.

Claire at Demo Memo echoed the thoughts of Vanessa at Feministing while discussing sexist anti-Hillary Clinton groups on Facebook. On the other hand, I rather wish such sexism was limited to idiots on Facebook.

Just for fun, here's a list from Mnmom at Happy to be from Iowa:

Favorite childhood swimsuit?

Purple with bright green stripes and orange circles. It was probably the ugliest swimsuit ever, but I really liked it.

Favorite summer thing to do in Elementary school?

We lived down the road from a creek and my brothers and I loved to bait string with bits of bacon and fish for crawdads.

Favorite summer thing to do in high school?

Definitely hang out at the lake. Our town was pretty much an island, so there was always a private area to be found for sunbathing, swimming or more naughty pursuits.

What smell really takes you back to summers gone by?

Sun tan oil, freshly cut grass, crepe myrtles.

What's the first thing you'll grill when it warms up?

I will not be grilling. My husband is a wee bit overprotective of that domain. But I imagine we'll be grilling just about everything -- definitely rib eyes, burgers, brats and dogs. We love to cook on the grill during the warmer months.

What is your level of gardening and what will be first in the ground this spring?

My level? Uhmmm... hobbyist who knows enough to be dangerous? I've put in lots of plants that can mostly care for themselves -- my favorites being bleeding hearts and sage. For the past two years I've been on a gerbera daisy kick, and I'm pretty sure I'll be planting several of those again this year. Thus far, I've been unsuccessful at getting a plant to last through the winter. If I'm anything, however, it is a glutton for punishment. Next to roses, I think these daisies are some of the most picky plants out there.

Charlotte Eby at Iowa Insider is reporting that Iowa Sen. David Hartsuch of Bettendorf is circulating a petition in preparation for a Congressional run against Rep. Bruce Braley. Hartsuch, who admits to the petition, says he has not yet made up his mind if he will run.

Iowa Voters has some good news for those in favor of paper ballots.

No doubt nearly everyone in the free world has heard the news of Iowa's own Steve King opening his mouth and allowing this to spew out in relation to a successful Barack Obama presidential campaign: "The radical Islamists, the al-Qaida ... would be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on Sept. 11 because they would declare victory in this war on terror."

Chris at Red Hog Diary takes the opposite view (and tosses a few choice words of his own), while Ted at The Real Sporer says he agrees with King. And people say we don't have diversity in Iowa. HA!

Finally, if you've been reading here, then you already know my thoughts on the shenanigans in Des Moines during funnel week. But, just to back up my point, here's at least one right-leaning blog, Iowa Conservative, saying Rants is no longer effective.

If you are looking for something to read this Sunday -- and I know that the folks stuck in Iowa don't have much desire to go outside today -- read The Sisterhood Split by Jessica Valenti (Feministing).

I've been letting a similar piece run into and out of my mind since last fall. The bottom line is that I didn't have the guts to put pen to paper. Still, I'm glad someone did. There are issues in the feminist community that simply must be addressed if we are going to move forward.

He's been a staple on eastern Iowa television sets for nearly a quarter of a decade, but soon the Iowa Traveler will bid adieu to viewers.

A spokesman for KGAN has confirmed that this week Cary J. Hahn, known to most as the Iowa Traveler, will air his final segments at the network. No other details concerning the parting have been made available.

Hahn, a broadcaster for more than 40 years, started out in college radio. He has served more than 20 years at KGAN, an eastern Iowa CBS affiliate. In 2006, Hahn was awarded the Jack Shelley Award by the Iowa Broadcast News Association. The honor was the most recent of many Hahn had received from the Associated Press, United Press and other broadcast professional organizations. CBS photographer Ger Edwards, amateur videographer Al Coffin and Hahn earned the fourth annual Stanley Foundation Award in 2004 for outstanding broadcast coverage of Iowa's global connections. That same year, Hahn was one of three producers awarded the Iowa Motion Picture Association's Award of Excellence for television.

Hahn has been the Iowa Traveler since 1983, an assignment that has led him into a host of feature news stories over the years. Without his help, eastern Iowans might not have learned about the "Hog Calling Nun of Dubuque" or "Interstate Bowling." According to an earlier distributed biographical sketch, Hahn was said to have "ridden on the wing of biplane and his stories have taken him to New York, Los Angeles, and everywhere in between, including Canada."

Hahn, a past president of the Iowa Broadcast News Association, has served as a senior co-host at KGAN for the local segments of the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon. He has been quoted as saying his involvement has been "some of the most gratifying moments of his broadcast career."

KGAN has been owned by the Sinclair Broadcasting Group since 1999. In early February Sinclair also acquired KFXA, the Cedar Rapids area Fox network affiliate, in a $17.1 million cash deal. While Sinclair has purchased KFXA's non-licensed assets, the deal provides an option to buy the licensed assets for an additional $1.9 million, pending Federal Communications Commission approval. Baltimore-based Sinclair programs or provides sales services to 58 TV stations in 35 markets.

Just one week from today, each of Iowa's 99 counties will host their Democratic county conventions. It's a development that has sparked the previously successful grassroots organization of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama back into action.

In an email to supporters on Friday, the Obama campaign provided detailed information based on county of residence as well as a link to a page with additional information on each county.

If you were selected as a delegate or alternate at the Iowa Caucus, Barack needs your help in the next stage of the process.

County conventions will be held across Iowa on Saturday, March 15th, and the number of delegates for each presidential candidate depends on our delegates and alternates turning out to support Barack.

Together we won a historic victory on January 3rd, but that was just the first step.

The Obama campaign has identified supporters in most of Iowa's counties to serve as delegate chairpersons. These individuals -- nearly 60 percent of whom are women -- are resources for Obama's county convention delegates who need to find replacements as well as outreach coordinators. Above all else, the job of the chairpersons is to ensure that those who committed on caucus night to support Obama as a delegate to the county convention show up and are counted once again.

Although Democrats attending the Iowa caucus on Jan. 3 divided into preference groups according to presidential candidates and each preference group selected delegates and alternates to the county conventions, those attending the county conventions are not beholden to their caucus night choice. For instance, several delegates and alternates were elected throughout the state as representatives of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. While some may choose to remain loyal to that particular candidate, there is no requirement that they do so.

At county convention, seated delegates will once again divide into preference groups. Any group that does not meet a 15 percent threshold will be given an opportunity to realign with the viable groups. It is from the remaining viable groups that delegates to the five district and the state convention are selected.

Although the Iowa caucus receives massive attention as the first real pulse of the nation in terms of presidential candidate preference, awarding of national delegates takes place at conventions. For instance, on caucus night in Linn County -- the second largest Democratic county in Iowa -- Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson each earned three county delegates, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton earned 173 delegates, Edwards earned 174 delegates and Obama earned 262 delegates. Due to the 15 percent threshold for viability at the county convention, delegates for Biden and Richardson will be forced realign into other groups.

The final make-up of delegates from the county conventions to the five district conventions in April will be determined by both the numbers of delegates that turn out for each specific group and the loyalty of the individual delegates to their caucus night preference group. Edwards delegates could move as a group to either Clinton or Obama, could split between the two or could attempt to move through the process with their loyalties to Edwards intact. Since roughly a third of all county convention delegates throughout the state are aligned with someone other than Clinton and Obama, the upcoming conventions are venting new political excitement in the state.

The Democratic numbers reported on caucus night were a true representation of those Iowans who attended the caucus. Those numbers, however, were not a final tally of the make-up of Iowa's 57 delegates to the Democratic National Convention in August.

With only seven days remaining before the county conventions, the Obama campaign has been the most active of the formerly commonplace presidential hopefuls in the state -- both in terms of communicating with their own supporters and in terms of outreach to possible delegate pick-ups from those in the Biden, Richardson, Edwards and uncommitted delegate pools. Because the national race between Obama and Clinton has remained narrow, it is quite possible that a few more national delegates from the Hawkeye State could make a difference in Denver.

The State Judicial Nominating Commission has selected three eastern Iowa nominees to fill the upcoming vacancy on the Iowa Supreme Court. The names have already been sent to Gov. Chet Culver for his appointment.

The nominees are:

• Connie Alt, 47, of Cedar Rapids. She is currently a senior vice president at Shuttleworth & Ingersoll P.L.C., her work focused on litigation, primarily in medical malpractice defense. She received her Juris Doctorate in 1985 from the University of Iowa.
• David Baker, 55, of Cedar Rapids, was appointed to the Court of Appeals in 2006. He attended the University of Iowa where he received both his undergraduate and law degree (1979). He served in private practice for 25 years before his appointment as a district court judge in the Sixth Judicial District in 2005.
• Thomas Waterman, 48, of Pleasant Valley. He is currently an attorney with the Davenport law firm Lane & Waterman L.L.P. He received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Iowa in 1984. In 2006, "America's Leading Business Lawyers" ranked Waterman as one of the best lawyers in America for his work in commercial litigation.

The vacancy will occur when Justice Jerry L. Larsen retires on May 17, due to the mandatory retirement age. Larson, who joined the court in 1978, is the longest serving justice in Iowa history.

Culver has 30 days to make an appointment to the court from this slate of nominees.

Women undergraduate students interested in attending a free five-day residential institute focused on public policy and leadership education have only two more days to submit their applications.

Iowa N.E.W. Leadership is a program sponsored by the Women's Resource and Action Center at the University of Iowa. Sponsorships have been collected to cover the cost of food, housing and program materials. Women accepted to the program will need to arrange their own transportation to and from Iowa City.

The program, which will run from June 1 to 6 on the University of Iowa campus, features Lt. Gov. Patty Judge as keynote speaker. Former Iowa Sen. Maggie Tinsman and Dale McCormick, director of the Maine State Housing Authority, will be faculty-in-residence. The program is designed to encourage college women to take on public leadership roles by providing the positive role models of successful women leaders.

Originally developed in 1991 by the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University, the program has been conducted at 17 universities throughout the nation. The Iowa program is open to any female two- or four-year college or university student. This includes Iowa residents who are currently attending school as undergraduates in other states. Women who apply do not have to be currently involved in a political science major or formal political roles.

Students and practitioners from across the state will be brought together to discuss national and local policy issues and to learn about the roles women have historically played in the development of public policy.

Interested women should submit an application before the end of business on Friday. The institute will accept 30 women and all accepted applicants will be notified by April 4. Organizers are hopeful that participants will represent diverse identities, academic majors and political affiliations. Participants, according to program coordinator Jessica Hook, are selected through a competitive application process.

The Women's Resource and Action Center is a department within the Division of Student Services at the University of Iowa that is dedicated to fostering women's individual empowerment. The Center, officially organized in 1974, leads and collaborates on projects that serve students, staff, faculty and the greater Iowa City community.

[Commentary] I know there must be a place -- somewhere either between or beyond the salvos of political rhetoric of Des Moines -- for Iowans to have a real conversation about civil rights in our state. Unfortunately, when the rhetoric is so loud and so obscene, everyday Iowans tend to switch to a different channel and tune out important issues.

Monday, for example, House Minority Leader Christopher Rants, a Sioux City Republican, decided he would implement a rarely used legislative rule to move a proposal on the Iowa Marriage Amendment out of committee. Rants was prompted to make this move due to the fact that the Iowa Legislature is entering it's first "funnel week" -- a time when bills not moved out of committee die on the vine. Despite the rule being implemented Tuesday morning, the proposal remained in committee.

During the course of announcing that the rule would be used to force the proposal to the floor, Rants told my Iowa Independent colleague Jay Wagner, "So the question is whether [Democrats] vote their conscience or blindly follow the leadership." It isn't the first time Rants and other Iowa Republicans have accused Democratic members of the House and Senate of bowing to the whim of "leadership" without actually naming who or what such leadership is. It's also doubtful it will be the last.

In his public remarks, however, one thing Rants failed to mention was the pushing he's receiving from his own "leadership" to get the proposal out of committee for a vote. On Feb. 25, Chuck Hurley of the Iowa Family Policy Center was a guest on WHO Radio's "Deace in the Afternoon" program. This particular program (mp3) was dedicated to advocacy of the Iowa Marriage Amendment. The program began with Hurley, a politically-charged conservative personality in the state, exhorting listeners to push the legislature to move this particular measure out of committee prior to the March 6 deadline.

Steve Deace, the host of the radio program, is also one of several conservative individuals and organizations who have joined together to push for the Iowa Marriage Amendment to come out of committee. Others include the Concerned Women for America of Iowa, Iowa Eagle Forum, Iowa Christian Alliance and Hurley's organization.

As a part of the pressure this coalition has initiated, a search of campaign-finance documents for donations to Democratic officials from openly gay individuals was completed. In the ensuing press release, these donors, who have the legal right of making contributions to any political campaign they desire, were given the distinctive, emotion-provoking title of "homosexual activists." At least one member of a sponsoring organization stated to me that she felt political contributions by gay people should be limited, based on the fact that since "they typically do not have family concerns," they have more disposable income and can, therefore, provide more monetary incentives to politicians. I guess, using the same logic, the government should also limit campaign contributions by sterile heterosexual people.

It is difficult to imagine the outcry if anyone dared to scour campaign-finance forms for names of regular Iowa churchgoers and labeled them as "fundamentalist activists" or for business owners and labeled them as "corporate money-mongers." Yet, this same tactic has been used by those who prefer to stand behind "what if" arguments to block certain Americans from their inalienable rights as granted by our founding fathers.

If the Iowa Marriage Amendment were to come out of committee, it would proceed to a vote in the Legislature. If passed, it would then face another legislative debate in the next session before it could be placed on a general election ballot. The conservative groups advocate this must be done -- that everyday Iowans should not be subject to the yet undetermined verdict of the Iowa Supreme Court on the matter of same-sex marriage. Repeat after me: "straw man."

Much to the dismay of many Iowans who support same-sex marriage, Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat who believes marriage should only be between a man and a woman, has already publicly announced that if the Supreme Court should uphold an August 2007 District Court ruling that Iowa's 1998 Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional, he will not only act but would consider a special legislative session for the specific purpose of "dealing with" the Iowa Supreme Court's verdict. While it is true that the Governor has no direct control of how state legislators would eventually vote during a special session, it is safe to say that his opinion would carry weight with Iowa's Democratic majority.

Conservative groups contend, perhaps rightly, that the vast majority of Iowa residents support the discrimination against homosexual couples. I would argue, as I have in the past, that quantity does not necessarily equate to quality.

Forty years ago the Virginia Supreme Court ruled in relation to marriage "that connections and alliance so unnatural that God and nature seem to forbid them, should be prohibited by positive law, and be subject to no evasion." In a similar decision, the Georgia courts said that some marriages were "not only unnatural, but... always productive of deplorable results." The Georgia courts added that such marriages "are productive of evil, and evil only, without any corresponding good."

At that time, however, the courts were not discussing same-sex marriage, but interracial ones. At that time, when the United States Supreme Court eventually ruled in Loving v. Virginia that marriage was one of an individual's "vital personal rights" protected under the 14th Amendment, most Americans believed such unions to be unnatural ones that would lead to the complete dismantlement of both marriage and society.

While same-sex marriage is one of those topics that tends to provoke strong emotions, it is in the best interests of our state to step back and allow the state Supreme Court to make its ruling. If there must be a legislative circus that will distract from everyday -- but nonetheless important -- issues before our Legislature, let it come after the courts have had their say. Until that time, I encourage all Iowans to wave away any rhetoric from either side of the political aisle concerning the issue. More likely than not, the rhetoric has more to do with the next election than it does to the sanctity of marriage.

Obsession by Animotion:

If you haven't already read this post by Caroline Vernon of Progressive Action for the Common Good, head over to Blog for Iowa and do so now.

The post is concerning PACG's email list and the fact that several subscribers are dropping -- without having requested to be dropped. This is primarily affecting users with Mediacom and Yahoo!, and the PACG staff contacted both ISPs. The problem was traced back to AT&T, the company that provides the backbone for the Mediacom network. Caroline learned that email from their site had been "blacklisted" -- that is, flagged for abuses (such as the activity named for the precooked, canned meat) so that many servers would no longer accept their email. Caroline contacted AT&T and received a primarily form letter in response, which is posted at the first link above.

Caroline has been in contact with other progressive groups who are experiencing similar issues and seems to believe that AT&T (and perhaps other large telecoms involved in the warrantless wiretapping fiasco) are purposefully blocking progressive lists that were organizing against retroactive immunity.

I have to admit that after reading Caroline's post, I wasn't overly concerned. My first thought was to the recent "Joe Job" perpetrated against our own domain. While most blacklists recognize such attacks for what they are and don't punish the server for the spoofing, it doesn't always end so nicely. So, my first thought was that nefarious precooked, canned meat folks were spoofing the PACG's email server and that AT&T -- and perhaps others -- had mistaken that for legitimate abusive practices. Caroline says, however, that she has contact info for other progressive groups that have been suffering the same fate.

In 2000 or 2001, AT&T was in trouble for offering "pink contracts" to companies that were known to be sending unsolicited commercial email. The pendulum swung the other direction in the two years that followed, with the AT&T blacklist -- either blacklist.sequoia.ops.asp.att.net or blacklist.mail.ops.worldnet.att.net -- becoming extremely strict and blocking a great deal of legitimate mail. There were several users from iowatelecom.net that were on the blacklist and couldn't send mail to me (my provider used the AT&T backbone).

There also seems to be another problem happening in conjunction with what's being reported by Caroline -- Yahoo! mail users, even those paying for premium services, have been unknowingly been separated from their mail. That is, the Yahoo! addresses were rejecting mail and, as a result, have been unsubscribed from many email lists. Some are pointing to the recent refusal by Yahoo! to be bought out by Microsoft, but my personal thinking is that it has more to do with CAPTCHA being cracked.

Here's a headline for you: "Vander Plaats Charges Culver with Sexual Misconduct." No, I'm not making that up. That's the actual headline that Bob Vander Plaats, 2006 GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, placed on a press release to discuss the fact that Gov. Chet Culver has refused Title V abstinence-only federal funding. If you don't believe me, you can also read about this on Price of Politics and Iowa Insider.

You'd think Vander Plaats, a former high school principal, would have caught such a mistake before hitting the send button.

We were thrilled to know that we were selected as one of the "E for Excellence!" blogs by Around Des Moines and fully intend to pass on our 10 selections as well -- just as soon as we can make the decision. In any event, as soon as we do, the information will be given its own post on the blog. Thanks again!

According to the National Partnership for Women & Families, Barr Pharmaceuticals has agreed to pay $5.9 million to settle a lawsuit that alleged it accepted $20 million from Warner Chilcott for agreeing not to sell a generic version of the oral contraceptive Ovcon for five years. In 2005 alone, Warner Chilcott reported $90.2 million in sales of Ovcon.

A user -- geocajun -- on the One Bread, One Body Christian-based forums, turns back the clock to review what Douglas Johnson, legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, had to say about Sen. John McCain in the year 2000 (that includes a shout out about Iowa's own Sen. Tom Harkin):

"How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause"

"It is noteworthy that during McCain's 17 years in Congress, he never had an opportunity to vote on Roe v. Wade until October 21, 1999, when the Senate voted on a resolution-style amendment by Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) to endorse Roe v. Wade. McCain skipped the vote to make an extra campaign appearance in New Hampshire, as documented in a local newspaper. The amendment passed narrowly."

...

""On January 15, McCain said that if elected president, he might appoint former Senator Warren Rudman (R-NH) -- his close advisor and the co- chairman of the national McCain campaign -- as U.S. attorney general. As a senator, Rudman voted to preserve Roe v. Wade, and was an active opponent of other pro-life efforts legislative efforts. ... Rudman voted to confirm anti-Roe v. Wade Justice Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, but later wrote in his 1996 memoirs, "If my vote had been the deciding one, I would have voted against Thomas, no matter what the consequences."

There are somethings in life that are just inevitable: Taxes. Broken Hearts. Death. Poop. Breathing. And especially Joe Jobs.

The anatomy of a "Joe Job:" A group or individual registers an internet domain. The domain is set up and is a legitimate site -- store front, information, blog, photo gallery or whatever. The point is that the site is going about its business without purposefully stepping on anyone else's toes. Everything is going along fine until one day thousands of "your email was undeliverable" messages and "out of office auto-responder" messages begin arriving. Congratulations, you've just been the victim of a Joe Job.

Those folks -- the ones named after the canned precooked meat -- aren't the most honest. And, in order to complete their task -- which typically involve sending thousands upon thousands of junk email -- they don't mind breaking a few rules. The rule they break that gets under my skin more than any other is when they take a legitimate domain, such as EssentialEstrogen.com, and use it for their own purpose.

When an unsuspecting email user or spam filter encounters the message, they get angry at the person sending the email. The canned meat folks know this, so they elect to hide behind someone else's good name.

This is what happened last night. When we returned home from an evening dinner at Applebee's (the Fiesta Lime Chicken there is amazing) my email client was hard at work. Over 4,000 undeliverable or refused emails had already bounced back at me -- emails that weren't sent by me and did not process through our server. (From the header information, it appears they originated in Italy, but I wouldn't bet my life, or even 10 bucks, on it.) I made a few changes on the email server so it would refuse any mail to accounts that did not exist. And, yes, it's something I should have done a long time ago. I was simply lazy.

When everything was said and done, I received 8,732 undeliverable or otherwise refused email messages. Adding insult to injury they were of the "enlarge your sexual organ" variety. So, if any of the recipients find their way here to complain -- and a few have already begun to email their frustration -- please know that no one associated with our domain is responsible. We hate it as much as you do.