Essential Estrogen

If it is possible to get jet-lag without actually getting on a plane, that's exactly what I've got. After adding up the distances between the various destinations I've visited (by car) since last Friday, I estimate that I've traveled at least 625 miles.

Over the weekend sexy husband and I traveled to the Mississippi River and on over into Galena, Ill. We tried our luck at the casino (and left with a little more jingle in our pockets), sampled Belgium chocolates, browsed the shops and just had a great and relaxing time.

After a brief stop back at home, I left for Des Moines on Monday and was able to spend quality time with some of Iowa's hard-working state legislators and elected officials. Things are busy (as usual) under the golden dome. Appropriations seemed to be on everyone's plate and I heard there are beau coups of great things coming down the pipe for women and families. As a side note, my special thanks to Rep. Swati Dandekar for accepting me as her guest. Thanks as well to Rep. Art Staed. After realizing I'd never had my "official" photo taken in chambers, he and Dandekar put me in the Speaker's chair just like a tourist. It's so cheesy that I must share:

Two quick items:

1. Iowa's Olympic athletes were honored in both chambers yesterday. What an amazing group of individuals! They received many good wishes from legislators, clerks, lobbyists and visitors during their time at the capitol.
2. I watched as a bill aimed at providing a hand-up to war orphans passed the House nearly unanimously. (Vote -- 99 yea, 1 abstain) Congratulations to Staed for his leadership with this bill.

There was also some sad news reported yesterday during a point of personal privilege by Rep. Elesha Gayman. The person in Scott County who has served the longest amount of time as an elected official -- Scott County Auditor Karen Fitzsimmons -- was taken off life-support. Karen, who had served for over 30 years, actively mentored women to take a more active role in politics. My deepest condolences to her family and friends.

Last night I had another great dinner and received a car tour before returning home -- arriving shortly after midnight. It was a long trip, but an excellent time. Now it's back to work. This week we'll start featuring the women challengers. It's a series that will continue over the next few weeks.

While shuffling through the email that had accumulated in my inbox while I was away from the computer, I found the following note (changed slightly to protect the writer):

... I am 23 years old. I just lost my daughter on March 27... Nothing changes the fact that my daughter is gone. And no matter what I would do, it doesn't change my broken heart and the feeling of emptiness. I was hoping you might have some advice for me. I'm at a loss and just daze off into nothing a lot. I have a support system and they are doing all they know how to do... I need someone who has been here before. I found your poem to your son and I thought you might be able to tell me something. Anything you can offer would be deeply appreciated...

Without fail, at least once a week, I not only receive, but read and answer email messages written by women who have suffered some form of pregnancy loss. No matter where the women who contact me are within their own grief, I feel compelled to tell them up front that they will never again feel whole. While time has done a remarkable job of healing the edges of the hole that has been placed through my stomach -- and it feels as real as a shotgun blast -- even time cannot fully close the gap.

I've been through three pregnancy losses -- the first mid-term, the second full-term and the last in early pregnancy. The first loss happened nearly 13 years ago. Three years later, the unthinkable happened again. The final blow came just months after the full-term stillbirth. Since that time I've been open about what happened in each of the pregnancies and about the details of the losses. Because of that openness, I'm sure many believe that I'm "passed it" or that I've "moved on." The truth is that I haven't. More importantly, I've come to understand that despite the fact that I've had two more healthy children following the losses, I will never be fully passed what happened. There will always be that unexpected smell, tune, flower, color or something that triggers an unhappy memory.

I think this path more than anything else is what places me, as well as other women who've had similar circumstances, in a precarious position. I can honestly and truthfully say that I've never met a woman who has gone through pregnancy loss who was not in favor of a woman's right to choose. I think that's because we have a greater understanding of the true emotional and physical toll that can come with a pregnancy. By that same token, we've all had starring roles in the grief process. We know how much hurt and misery follows the loss of a wanted and loved child. It's a tightrope walk through egg shells that leaves us without comfortable footing at either end of the reproductive health debate.

On one hand, those who refuse to see abortion or birth control as ever being a necessary or moral choice do not grasp the real and true danger we know exists within pregnancy. There are times that pregnancy feels more like a blindfolded walk across hot coals on the edge of a cliff than an occasion to celebrate and await the joyous arrival.

On the other hand, women who have been through pregnancy and child loss never want another woman to experience what they have. We will do everything in our power to ensure that the choice a woman has made -- regardless of what that choice may be -- is the one she wants. Choice is a serious responsibility, and with responsibility comes risks and consequences. While this rarely puts us at odds with others within the pro-choice community, there have been instances.

We are either the loose cannons or the peace makers, depending on your point of view. But our stories are powerful, honest and raw. To put it bluntly, we cut through the crap of protesters, lawmakers shifting in their seats, Supreme Court appointments, and clinic bombings to arrive at the only thing that really matters -- the family, the woman, the specific situation. That scares the hell out of those on either side of the issue who line their pockets with the misfortune of others.

A few years ago, I was invited to come to a predominately anti-abortion conference to share the story of my first pregnancy loss. It was a pregnancy that I very much wanted, but it was never meant to be. Due to several severe neural tube defects, the child I was carrying would die. It was also doubtful that I'd ever make it to term. Roughly 26 weeks into the pregnancy, and after visiting several doctors, we made the decision to terminate. I think because of that experience, I somewhat understand what families go through as they debate if a loved one should be removed from life support. Although I never want another family to be placed in that spot, I will say that I'm very grateful the decision was ours -- not the doctors' and, definitely, not the government's.

The organizers of this particular conference, at my prodding, also invited another woman I'd been corresponding with for several months. She had lost a daughter to anencephaly -- one of the terminal defects that also took the life of my son -- but she and her family chose a different path. Absent other major defects, she was able to carry to term and gave birth to a daughter, who lived for 13 minutes after birth.

Although I hadn't considered it before arriving that day, I think many in the audience were prepared for what they thought would be a heated exchange between my friend and me. At the end of our part of the program, however, I don't recall there being a tear-free face. I confessed that I always assumed the other woman -- not to mention the general public -- thought less of me because of my decision to terminate. She then admitted that she had felt somewhat obligated to carry to term, and did so more out of fear of what people would say and think than out of a real want or desire. She wanted her older children to have a support group around them, and worried that a decision to terminate might keep some from giving that type of grief support to them.

She said, given the social climate, she took the "easy way out." Ironic, isn't it? Carrying a child for nine months -- knowing for most of that time that once you give birth the child will die, if he/she doesn't die during birth -- then birthing and spending 13 minutes before watching your daughter take her last breath is considered the "easy way out."

On the other hand, because of my decision to terminate, I lost the support of both family and friends. Our family was pushed from our church because our "situation caused a rift within the congregation." On the day I chose to remove life support on someone I knew so briefly yet loved so dearly, I walked through layers of protesters who screamed that I was a murderess. Once inside, I learned that my son had already died a few days earlier, and that I'd spend the next weeks fighting a serious infection.

I need to close this post because I know there is a woman somewhere out there who won't sleep tonight... or maybe will sleep for hours and hours, trying to ignore the emptiness that's been left behind. I don't know the exact circumstances of her loss. In all honesty, it doesn't matter... and it shouldn't ever matter.

Two recent studies, both judging the state's ability to provide children a safe environment, have Iowa listed at opposite ends of the spectrum. The discrepancy has some parents questioning the long-held belief that Iowa is a great place to raise a family. Are current state policies doing enough to keep children living in our state safe? Is it an argument of parents versus policy?

Readers of Parents magazine learned this month that editors ranked Iowa 43rd in the nation while assessing potential child safety in each of the 50 states. A separate study pioneered by the Washington D.C.-based nonprofit Every Child Matters Education Fund, however, drew immediate praise from Gov. Chet Culver when it placed Iowa as the No. 1 Midwestern state in terms of child well-being, and seventh nationwide.

"This report proves that in Iowa we are doing things right," said Culver. "Iowa's children hold the keys to our future, and this is why the Culver/Judge Administration has worked hard to give our children a brighter future. I am committed to building upon the progress we have made so that every Iowa child can reach their fullest potential."

The report that ranked Iowa high looked at 10 child well-being indicators such as infant mortality rates, the numbers of child and teen deaths, access to prenatal care, and number of uninsured children.

In contrast, the editors of Parents analyzed state-level data on more than 30 criteria that impact a child's safety, including bike helmet and booster seat laws, sex-offender tracking and the number of emergency services providers per capita. The Parents study judged each state on all criteria, the final score being based half on accident prevention and half on violence prevention.

"I'm not sure what to believe or what is really being assessed by these studies," said Amy Relanote, an Iowa mom to 8-year-old twin boys and a 5-year-old girl. "I think the Parents study took many more statistics into account, but much of what they viewed could fall under 'nanny' government. Is it the government's responsibility to make sure that my boys are wearing their bicycle helmets or is it mine? I think it's the state's responsibility to watch out for my children in ways that I cannot. The rest is up to me."

Karen Cicero, editor of the piece for Parents, said that she can see both sides of that issue.

"Some parents really appreciate the booster seat and bicycle helmet laws because it makes those instances a nonissue in their household," she said. "Parents feel it gives them both more power and, in a way, removes pressure from them. A statement like, 'No, this is the law,' makes the issue a nondebatable one."

Cicero also points out that while parents have control over what happens in their own vehicles and in their homes, such controls are removed when children move into public spaces.

"[Parents] don't have control over the installation of seat belts in school buses," she said. "The seat belts have to be there for the kids to use them -- parents, obviously, can instruct their kids about the importance of using them."

Cicero said that because state laws are constantly changing, she doesn't see the study reported in the magazine as a snapshot in time. She also said that she didn't see the findings as political in nature, despite the fact that the statistics often took into account state laws and policies regarding safety issues.

"I don't see this as a political issue at all," Cicero said when asked if the magazine's assessment included information relating to the political or gender make-up of state legislatures. "This is a safety issue. This is a chance for parents to see what their state has done, what other states have done and decide if there are things that could be done in their state that will result in a safer environment for their children."

While Parents magazine preached to its choir (the nation's parents), the study from Every Child Matters preached to its predominantly politically charged base by calling for congressional hearings, policy positions from presidential candidates and disparity examinations at all levels of government and in the private sector.

"As Americans, we need to ask ourselves: 'Does every child in the U.S. deserve an equal opportunity to be healthy and survive to adulthood?'" said Michael Petit, author of the study and founder of Every Child Matters. "Is there a floor below which no American child should fall, regardless of the accident of geography that accounts for where they are born and raised? It should no longer be politically acceptable to permit -- or simply ignore -- the vast differences in life chances that exist for children today."

Emma Rocks!, a musical competition held at the Englert Theatre on Saturday with proceeds benefiting the Emma Goldman Clinic, gave awards to three artists. In total, 11 performances were voted on by the audience before the top three popular vote getters were handed to a panel of judges for placement.

Blue Cat Alley, a blues rock band comprised of Kate Thompson, Tim Laughrin, David Bordow, Steve Jeffries and Mark Soth, earned first place honors. They performed an original piece written by Soth, entitled "That's What I Find." The band chose the production prize, which consists of a demo compact disc produced by Dave Zollo in the studios at United Action for Youth as well as a music video produced by Community Television Services.

Second place winners were Greg and Jean Thompson, a folk duo. They chose the promotion prize that includes 45 minutes on the main stage of the Iowa Arts Fest and a feature article in Creative Crossroads magazine. They performed "Drive to Fargo," written by Greg.

Family Van, a "noise-pop" improvisation group comprised of Laura Kelley, Liz Preciado, David Luthor and Lisa Kattchee, earned third place honors. They performed their original song "Nice Guys Get Funked." The group received an acoustic Arbor guitar with backpack case provided by J Frahm Music and guitar lessons by Bill Hook, co-owner of The Guitar House.

"This event was really fun for the clinic to organize, for the local musicians to perform and for the community to participate," said Karen Kubby, executive director of the Emma Goldman Clinic. "It reminds me how artistically rich we are in Johnson County."

Judges for the event were Mayor Regenia Bailey, musician Nikki Lunden and Sam Schliesinger, volunteer with United Action for Youth.

The Emma Goldman Clinic, the first women owned and operated health care center in the Midwest and the first out-patient abortion clinic in Iowa, was founded in September 1973 by a group of dedicated community women. Today it is one of the most highly regarded non-profit health care facilities in the country.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Iowa's five-day spring book sale raised $197,000 -- a new record. When combined with proceeds from the fall sale, a total of $388,000 was raised during the fiscal year. That's the largest total in the book sale's 48-year history.

Kudos to June Harris and Chuck Kolb, co-chairs of the sale, for their hard work and success. Kudos also to everyone who donated, volunteered and, of course, shopped.

As you may have already read on Around Des Moines and Blog for Iowa, I was selected as one of the 10 finalists for the Women's Voices Making History Favorite Female Blogger contest at Women's Voices. Women Vote. Although I know this will sound cliche, the truth is that it has been an amazing honor just to be nominated and selected to stand with the other nine amazing, intelligent and opinionated women.

I'd be remiss here if I didn't send some thank you shout-outs to Seth, Debi, Kay, Debby, Lori, Dave, Chris, Sam, Rose, Carol and all the other friends and readers who have already passed this wonderful news along through their email lists and blogs. In as much as I find the national attention an honor, your personal notes of appreciation and endorsement have left me humbled beyond measure... and even a tad speechless, which I'm sure all of you will find hysterical.

Thanks also to my co-workers and friends at Iowa Independent, RH Reality Check, and Huffington Post. It is in large part due to their help, deadlines and inspiration that many of the posts you read here were written. I'm blessed to be a part of such a diverse and wonderful professional network.

Voting for your favorite of the final 10 women selected will continue through Friday. Regardless of which blogger you choose, please take a moment to visit the site and cast a vote for one of the women listed there. As the Essential Estrogen mission statement reads, "Throughout history every significant societal shift toward a more equitable community has taken place because either a woman or a group of women took action. ... History has not only shown women in politics to be beneficial to society, it has shown such influence to be essential to society."

My thanks and congratulations to all nominated. Our voices are essential.

SHeDAISY singing Get Over Yourself:

Over the past few weeks I've been confronted with the "Why do you blog?" question. And, before anyone asks: "Yes, it is different for girls and women." There is an odd and sometimes scary ugliness that comes from allowing others a sense of anonymity while you, the blogger, have little.

While I'm not sure I've come up with an answer to the question that adequately fits for me, I did look over at some other women's blogs to see why they might feel compelled do this. One particular post on Blogher, written by Jennifer Satterwhite discusses her celebration of being eight years passed a drug addiction and what she finds by reading blogs and being a blogger. (There are also some great links in her post, so go read it.)

There is one thing I know: I have a split-blogging personality. One side of me writes traditionally, describing events and gathering quotations from those in attendance. That side also writes the statistical pieces readers find here from time to time. The other side of me, however, writes these Sunday posts and discusses life, emotions and ideas. I know how to write both ways and, so I've been told, I have a certain amount of talent for each. What I've yet to develop... actually, what I've questioned could be developed... is a way to merge the two. Is it possible to bear your soul to readers while following the journalists' mandate of "just the facts?"

I was happy when I saw that Jack and Jill Politics had been featured on Anderson Cooper. Then I read what the blog author(s) thought about it.

This problem illustrates perfectly what seems to be happening in the traditional media. Blogs and online news sites are gaining more credibility, but are often not afforded the same considerations that are given to fellow journalists and traditional pundits. That is, often our words are taken, read out of context and then discussed by individuals who rarely (if ever) have read our thoughts as a whole.

No doubt you've probably heard at least something about Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius by now. If nothing else, you should know that she's considered to be on the short list of vice presidential contenders.

If you head over to Mom's Speak Out, you'll read a post about Sebelius possible green leanings. (She recently vetoed expansion of a coal-burning power plant in her state.)

Did you see the piece Students of Virginity in the New York Times Magazine? It's about the outbreak of abstinent-until-marriage groups at institutions of higher learning. The article especially focused on such groups at Ivy League schools.

Some snippits:

In a follow-up study to a 1995 national survey of close to 12,000 students in grades 7 through 12, two sociologists, Peter Bearman at Columbia University and Hannah Brückner at Yale, found that while those who took virginity pledges preserved their technical virginity about 18 months longer than teenagers who didn’t pledge, they were six times more likely to engage in oral sex than virgins who hadn’t taken a pledge. They were also much less likely to use condoms during their first sexual experience or to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases. Disease rates between those who pledged and those who didn’t were actually similar. The authors, who published their findings in 2005, concluded that the emphasis on premarital abstinence was insufficient to fend off disease and “collides with the realities of adolescents’ and young adults’ lives.”

...

A voluntary online survey showed that students at Harvard were less sexually active than undergraduates elsewhere, says Dr. David Rosenthal, director of University Health Services, which conducted the survey. But perceiving a sexualized culture, members of True Love Revolution went to war. The group did not require an abstinence pledge, nor concern itself with drawing specific boundaries. Its one stated purpose was to discourage premarital intercourse, but by declining to endorse gay marriage, the group left gays, just as Princeton did, with no option but to abstain forever. Since True Love Revolution did not condemn gay marriage, Murray hoped no one would feel “personally attacked.” “We just wanted it to be kind of humorous and lighthearted,” he said.

True Love Revolution was denounced, however, after its first big outreach effort, on Valentine’s Day 2007. Members had sent out cards to the women of the freshmen class that read: “Why wait? Because you’re worth it.” Some interpreted the card to mean that those who didn’t wait until marriage to have sex would somehow be worth less. One writer for The Crimson concluded that “by targeting women with their cards and didactic message, they perpetuate an age-old values system in which the worth of a young woman is measured by her virginity.”

There's much more at the link. The paragraphs I pulled above are the ones with which I had the most issue. First, we know that "just say no" doesn't work. It never has and it never will. While I believe we could teach our young people that sexual intimacy should be sacred and coveted, we cannot just leave sex itself sitting out as some mysterious bottle of goo (good or bad goo). It is important for us to give our young people all the information available so that when decisions are made, the decisions are educated.

Finally, I'm still a bit disgusted with the Valentine's Day stunt. Why is a woman who has sex a slut while a man who has sex is a stud? And, no, I don't buy the fact that "that's the way it's always been." Further, for a woman to be the instigator of both demeaning women and applying the slut label... well, I find that all the more distasteful.

At his blog A Fly Bottle, Will Wilkinson pulls some interesting statistical data from the book "Gross National Happiness" that seems to show that having children actually makes adults less happy.

The more children you have, on average, the unhappier you get — up to a point. The average happiness of adults — correcting for all the factors mentioned above — falls as more children are added to the family.

For the record, I've met certain people who found their most happiness through raising and caring for children. But those people -- of whom I am not one -- are few and far between. Truly raising and caring for children is non-stop work. While I write this post, I can think of literally hundreds of things I *could* be doing that would all fall under the category of child-rearing. Don't believe me? Well, I could be checking out colleges for my oldest daughter. I could sew the hole in my son's favorite piggy. I could be pulling too small clothing from the drawers, or unpacking the summer things I packed away last fall. I could be disinfecting door knobs. (This is still the flue season.) I could be playing a game with them. I could be taking them to the park. I could be making sure homework is done. I could be preparing baths. I could be doing the dishes left in the sink. I could be brushing the now-shedding cat, since I know her loose fur will be play havoc with my middle daughter's allergies.

As I said, there are hundreds of things I could be doing. I'm doing this, however, because it is something I find enjoyable. It is something that makes me happy. I'm not sure if that makes me a horrible person; however, I am quite sure that I'm not a lonely parent in this regard. Most parents I know rejoice in the few hours of solitude they can find away from their children. This does not mean we aren't happy to return home or that we don't miss our children while we're away. It just means that humans are typically selfish creatures and the work of raising children is primarily selfless.

Every so often I read something on a blog that has me literally jumping up out of my chair to applaud. Such is the case with the Why Democrats Soliciting Religious Voters is Silly, Stupid and Suicidal post at the Watching Those We Chose blog. Bravo!

Iowa's two U.S. Attorneys kicked off a new effort this afternoon that is aimed at raising public awareness of human trafficking.

"Human trafficking -- the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel the labor or services of another person -- is a terrible crime," said Matt M. Dumermuth, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. "The criminals prey on some of the most vulnerable members of our society. They often target children and foreign nationals, including illegal immigrants, who think they have no place to turn for help."

Dummermuth stood with Matt G. Whitaker, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa, to announce a plan that will impact Johnson, Linn, Black Hawk and Dubuque counties. Initially, posters and brochures will be distributed through the counties in an effort to bring more public attention to the crime. A web site has also been launched that includes information about human trafficking, resources for victims, contact information for victim service providers and a link for reporting suspected human trafficking cases.

"Although slavery was outlawed in the United States more than 140 years ago, a modern-day form of it still takes place in our country," said Whitaker. "We need to make sure we do all we can to help reach out to those who are victims of this crime."

Human Trafficking Cases in Iowa:

• In June of 1999, Igor Voyitenko, a Russian national, was charged with bringing four Russian immigrants to the Quad Cities to work in his contract cleaning business and live in an inadequate apartment. The work was to be done in exchange for their passage to the United States. The case was handled by immigration authorities who deported the four workers back to Russia. Voyitenko was also later deported.
• More recently, Demont Bowie of Wellman kidnapped a 13-year-old girl from Minneapolis. The girl was forced to work in an eastern Iowa prostitution ring run by Bowie's father. The case was prosecuted as a kidnapping.
• The Iowa Council for International Understanding reports that a Chinese national was brought to Ames by a relative under false promises of work. While in Ames, the young woman was forced to work in a restaurant and abused by physically and sexually. Once her situation was discovered, she fought to remain in the country legally.

Representatives of the Northern Iowa Human Trafficking Response Team (HTRT) and its group of eastern Iowa partners were also available at the afternoon press conference. The HTRT was created last year to deal with human trafficking crimes and consists of representatives from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Internal Revenue Service. Goals of the team are to develop plans for responding to the crime of human trafficking, develop and outreach campaign and provide training to both team members and victim service partners.

Members of the eastern Iowa partner group are representatives from the Black Hawk County Attorney's Office, Cedar Valley Friends of the Family in Waverly, Dubuque Community Y - Domestic Violence Program, HACAP of Iowa City, the Johnson County Attorney's Office, Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, St. Luke's Child Protection Center in Cedar Rapids, Seeds of Hope in Waterloo, and Waypoint in Cedar Rapids. The partners are the agencies dedicated to helping provide services to victims of human trafficking and community awareness of such crimes.

Human trafficking was not monitored in the United States until 1994 -- it wasn't until June 2006 that Gov. Tom Vilsack signed a law that made Iowa the 14th state to outlaw human trafficking. Today, it is estimated that the crime affects roughly 20,000 people, bringing them into the United States either against their will or under false pretenses. Roughly 1 million individuals are estimated to be trafficked globally -- over 70 percent of them female. The U.S. Department of State reports that human trafficking is the third most profitable criminal activity, following only drug and arms trafficking. An estimated $9.5 billion is generated in annual revenue from all trafficking activities, with at least $4 billion attributed to the worldwide brothel industry.

The following are the statements distributed by Iowa's congressional delegation in relation to the testimony of Gen. David Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Congressman Leonard Boswell, 3rd District (added 4/9/08, after the House hearings):

"After two days of testimony, it's clear that the Administration still has no end game. The purpose of the surge was to move towards a political reconciliation, but this still has not occurred. It's unfortunate that our brave young men and women in uniform are being put at risk, without any clear strategy.

"I, along with others have repeatedly asked for their 'plan' for an orderly withdrawal of our troops, but none exists, nor does there appear to be any strategy to do so. This Administration seems determined to participate in what has become an internal Iraqi civil war."

Sen. Tom Harkin:

“I, along with millions of Americans, waited today to hear General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker propose a clear strategy for our nation’s mission in Iraq - something we have been waiting to hear from this Administration for years. Unfortunately, we heard more of the same.

“The simple truth is that keeping our brave soldiers mired in the Iraqi civil war is breaking our military, bankrupting our treasury, and making our country less safe. Iraq needs a political solution, which only Iraqis can provide, to bring real stability and security to their country.

“There will be more troops in Iraq this summer than when the temporary surge began more than a year ago. Even General Petraeus admits there is no military solution in Iraq, so keeping 142,000 troops there is not the answer. The current strain on our troops is unsustainable – we simply do not have enough trained and ready troops to indefinitely sustain such high troop levels in Iraq. Pentagon officials have acknowledged that the great demand on our forces has diminished our military readiness and hindered our ability to respond to any new crisis.

“We have lost more than 4,000 of our men and women, with almost 30,000 injured, many severely. Brigades are not being allowed sufficient time to regroup and retrain, placing enormous strains on our soldiers and their families. Last year, suicides among active-duty soldiers reached their highest level since the Army began keeping records 28 years ago.

“While the American taxpayer continues to pour $12 billion a month into Iraq, the Iraqi government’s oil revenues are skyrocketing due to soaring oil prices. When the war in Iraq began, the cost of a barrel of oil was $33.51 and the Bush Administration claimed that the Iraqis would pay for most of the reconstruction and basic needs of its people. It has been estimated that Iraq will earn $100 billion in oil revenue in 2007 and 2008. Yet the Iraqi government has billions of dollars sitting in bank accounts collecting interest, while American taxpayers are being forced to foot the bill.

“If we pursue the Bush stay-the-course mentality, we will quickly reach the decade mark for our military occupation in Iraq. I stand with the millions of Americans who are ready for a new direction.”

Congressman Bruce Braley, 1st District

“While there have been recent security gains on the ground in Iraq, we are no closer today to a political solution for Iraq than we were last September when General Petraeus first testified before Congress. General Petraeus himself acknowledged as much last month when he said that ‘no one’ felt there had been ‘sufficient progress’ at Iraqi national reconciliation.

“Like he did last fall, General Petraeus today asked for more time for the President’s surge to work. But all the time in the world won’t get the Iraqis to come together and reach a political solution for their country unless they are willing to commit to it.

“General Petraeus also expressed concern with setting a timetable for redeployment. But we can’t stay in Iraq forever: our troops are spread thin across the globe, our military readiness is dangerously depleted, and we have lost our focus on the war on terror in Afghanistan.

“It’s time to show the Iraqis that we are serious about them taking control of their own country. We need to follow the advice that the Iraq Study Group gave long ago: it’s time to set a timeline to redeploy our troops and turn Iraq over to the Iraqis.”

Congressman Dave Loebsack, 2nd District

“I have twice visited our troops in Iraq, and am always inspired by their service, sacrifice and commitment. However, after today’s hearing I continue to be troubled over the Bush Administration’s inability to provide a clear definition of success in Iraq and what conditions it believes must be met in order to bring our men and women in uniform home. These are the questions I will seek answers to when General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker testify in front of me and my colleagues on the House Armed Services Committee tomorrow.”

The Iowa Court of Appeals has ruled that a homeless man now serving a life sentence in connection with the 2005 kidnapping and molesting of a toddler in a Des Moines library restroom should be granted a new trial because his request for a lawyer was disregarded by law enforcement.

In a swift 2006 jury decision James Carson Effler, 35, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the first-degree kidnapping of a 20-month-old girl that took place in a Des Moines Public Library in October 2005. The arrest and conviction stemmed from an incident in which Effler, a previously convicted sex offender who had neglected to register in Iowa, was discovered in a library bathroom with the nude girl, his own shirt removed. The girl had been in the company of a babysitter who was using a computer terminal at the library when the toddler went missing. Workers and the babysitter heard the girl scream from behind the locked bathroom door. A library worker opened the door with a screwdriver and exposed the scene within. Library workers then held Effler in the restroom while police were summoned to the library.

The girl was transported to a local hospital and seen by a doctor that specialized in sexually abused children. After conducting a visual exam of the girl's genitals, the doctor found "nothing remarkable," but noted that her labia were "a little bit red."

Effler was transported to the police station where law enforcement video taped an interview with him. The detective noted the suspect smelled strongly of alcohol and stated that Effler "clearly had been drinking." A urine test later showed Effler had a 0.094 blood alcohol level. During the course of the interview, prior to Effler's video taped confession of molesting the the girl, Effler said, "I do want a court-appointed lawyer." The detective affirmed he could have one and then Effler stated, "If I go to jail."

The detective, after providing Effler with a cigarette, continued the interview in which Effler described how he locked the bathroom door, took off the girl's clothing and touched and licked her genital area. He also told the detective that he had masturbated and tried to place his penis inside the toddler's vagina.

Effler's counsel attempted to suppress the video confession and all statements made during the interview on the grounds that Effler's right to counsel had been violated. Polk County District Court Judge Artis Reis heard the argument and concluded that Effler's request for counsel had been "conditioned upon his going to jail" and allowed the tape and statements as evidence.

In the opinion handed down this morning, Judge Robert Mahan wrote, "In sum, we conclude Effler's Fifth Amendment right to an attorney was violated and the district court erred by not granting Effler's motion to suppress the statements he made to officers after he had requested an attorney. In addition, we conclude such error was not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt. We therefore reverse the district court's judgment of conviction and sentence and remand the case for a new trail."

Once it was revealed that Effler had previously used computers at the library to view pornography over the Internet, the case sparked a firestorm of calls for Internet filtering of content at public libraries. The American Library Association opposes Internet filtering as do many libraries throughout Iowa. Libraries that choose not to filter are subject to federal funding being withheld under the Children's Internet Protection Act.

Former Iowa Congressman Edward Mezvinsky is scheduled to be released from prison this weekend after serving more than five years for fraud.

Mezvinsky, a lawyer by trade, served Iowa's 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms, from 1973 to 1977. He was ultimately defeated in 1976 by Jim Leach. After serving in Congress, Mezvinsky worked at the United Nations Commission for Human Rights until 1979. He moved to Pennsylvania, married then NBC news reporter Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky, made an unsuccessful bid for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, and served as chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee. Mezvinsky made two more unsuccessful bids for statewide office in Pennsylvania -- attorney general in 1988 and lieutenant governor in 1990.

Margolies-Mezvinsky served in Congress from 1993 to 1995, and was the Pennsylvania Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 1998. Her autobiography, "A Woman's Place," was published in 1993. The couple lived an affluent life in an 8,200-square-foot mansion in Narberth, a Philadelphia suburb. The couple raised 11 children, some internationally adopted. Both filed for bankruptcy in 2000 when various lawsuits alleged they owed over $7 million to banks and individuals.

On Sept. 27, 2002, Mezvinsky admitted that he had bilked investors -- including friends, law clients and even his late mother-in-law -- out of more than $10 million. The 129-page indictment was filed in March 2001 and alleged Mezvinsky committed fraud "by misusing attorney escrow accounts held in his name, engaging in schemes involving worthless checks deposited at banks, creating forged bank statements, using false financial statements, tax returns and accountant's letters and giving false testimony under oath." The indictment followed a two-year investigation by the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, Postal Service and other agencies. Mezvinsky was sentenced to seven years.

Margolies-Mezvinsky was not charged with any wrongdoing. In fact, Mezvinsky's schemes dipped into her inheritance, her mother's accounts and most of the family's financial resources.

The Mezvinsky's son, investment banker Marc Mezvinsky, has often been spotted on the arm of Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, who continues to struggle for the Democratic presidential nomination. The families have been close for some time, the two older women basically double-teaming the 1995 United Nations Conference on Women. It was Congresswoman Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky who cast the the crucial 1993 vote that pushed Pres. Clinton's budget package through the House -- a move that most likely cost her re-election. Both Chelsea and Marc attended Stanford and have been close for many years. There is no evidence the Clintons knew of any illegal activity on the part of Mezvinsky.

Mezvinsky, now 71, is currently finishing his sentence in a Pittsburgh halfway house.

Cayla Baresel is the first to admit that a successful campaign against Republican incumbent Pat Grassley in Iowa House District 17 is going to take a lot of work, but she says that she has the energy and dedication to get the job done.

At age 23, Baresel is the youngest woman currently seeking a legislative seat. She's also an Iowa native and a 2007 graduate of Wartburg College where she obtained her bachelor of arts degree in political science. Most recently, she's put shoe leather to asphalt in Butler and Bremer counties as a field organizer for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign. Baresel says expanding the voter and supporter grassroots network she's already helped forge will be key in her upcoming campaign.

"When I was working on the Clinton campaign, I developed even more of an attachment to this area and the people who live here," Baresel said. "As I met people and listened to their experiences, I became inspired and motivated to do all I could to make a difference for them. That's why I'm running. I really feel that things need to change and that the concerns of the people in this district need to be heard. Their concerns need to be addressed at the state level."

Before Baresel can go to work for constituents, however, she has a significant hurdle to overcome in Pat Grassley, grandson of long-standing U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley. In 2006, the House seat was vacated by Bill Dix when he decided to pursue an unsuccessful bid to represent Iowa's 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Grassley and Democratic candidate Alek Wipperman faced off in the state race. Of the nearly 12,000 votes cast, Grassley netted 55.5 percent.

"I'm excited about the opportunity, but I'm not suffering from any delusions. It's going to be tough, but I'm willing to work for it," Baresel said. "I know how tough this district is -- not just for me, but, historically, for any Democratic candidate -- and I'm going to use my energy and determination to give it my best shot."

While in most districts Baresel's age might play more of a role, it would be difficult for it to be factor against the 24-year-old Grassley. When first elected to office, he was younger than Baresel is now. One thing he has that she does not, however, is name recognition.

"I am a woman and I am young," she said. "I don't know how that will be initially perceived. What I hope is that people will see how hard I'm working -- that they'll see my motivation and the reasons for it. I've got to get my name out there."

Getting her name out there is going to be part of the learning experience, she says, and also something she's sure will "open a lot of doors" despite the fact that she never really pictured herself running for public office.

"I've always been interested in politics," she said. "I majored in it in college because I had an interest. But running for office? Not really. My friends would say to me, 'Oh, Cayla, you are so smart and I just know you're going to be president one day.' I'd roll my eyes and tell them, 'Oh yeah.' So, I guess it was something that I joked about, but never seriously wanted to pursue it until I became more involved after college graduation. Just talking to so many people in Bremer and Butler counties really motivated me to want to help. It also gave me the confidence I need to seriously think, 'I can do this.'"

Having grown up in a single-parent household in Iowa, Baresel says the issues she feels most deeply about are education and health care. Those are followed closely by concerns for the economy and a need for more biofuels technology and environmental issues.

"It was a challenge for my mother, but she did an excellent job [raising my sister and me] and working two jobs most of the time," Baresel said. "Higher education can sometimes feel as if it is out of reach. It's expensive now and it gets more and more expensive every year. I also know there are people in this district who can't afford health care premiums so they do without insurance. We've got to create more opportunities. We've got to give young Iowans a reason to remain in our state. Those are big concerns not only for the individuals in those situations, but for the district as a whole."

When the election is said and done, Baresel says she wants the voices and needs of the people to be the driving force in Des Moines.

"I've had the opportunity to hear the stories of the people in Butler and Bremer counties. I've heard what's important to them," she said. "I know I would represent them and this area well. I know I would be a good representative because I would always represent the people."

Phyllis Thede, a Democratic candidate for Iowa House District 81, is just two years away from a close but disappointing bid for the Iowa Senate, which she lost by just 436 votes. She says, however, it's that campaign, despite its unfortunate ending, that has given her the drive to try again.

"When I lost the last time, it was a bit of a blow," Thede said. "But I think once you get bitten by this political bug, you say to yourself, 'Hey, you know what? I know I can do well as a representative of Iowa.'

"I developed lots of ideas when I ran last time -- ideas on how I could serve the people of Iowa. I don't want to let those ideas go. They need to happen because there are too many things that Iowans and our state need. If we don't get out there and fight for them, these ideas will just sit. That inaction makes people frustrated. I know this because I'm one of the people who have become frustrated. I want to see action on the things that I've talked about and that I've heard talked about. Of course, I won't be out there doing it all by myself. There are going to have to be a lot of people helping. "

Thede will face Republican incumbent Jamie Van Fossen, who has served in the Iowa House since 1995. In the 2006 election, Van Fossen defeated Democratic candidate Lauren Phelps by 567 votes, leading many to believe he may be vulnerable.

Education, Thede says, is the primary issue where she and Van Fossen differ and where she believes she can pick up voters in the district.

"I think [Van Fossen] is lacking in the education department," she said. "Education is the key to everything. If we don't have students doing well and succeeding in their educational arena, what's going to happen is these children will not be able to succeed when they go on to college or even going into a workplace. So we want to make sure children are well-read and being serviced very well in the education system. This is an area that has been quiet on Van Fossen's plate."

Thede, who began a career in education as a paraeducator with Davenport Community Schools and is now a secretary in the media center at North High School, believes this is an area where her experience and expertise will pay dividends for Iowa's youth and schools. During her time with the school district, she has served as union president, vice president and as a contract negotiator and grievance chair. She has also served on the state Minority Action Committee for 10 years.

"There are a lot of people who are concerned about education, but my concern stems from the fact that I work in a school system now," Thede said. "I see a lot of things that I believe need to be changed."

Two of those things are No Child Left Behind and class advancement on merit.

"When it comes to No Child Left Behind, I see so many teachers working so hard to try to teach to a test," she said. "It's very frustrating. While [NCLB] is a federal mandate, we're seeing it on a local level -- where people are just struggling to help kids learn.

"Another thing I want to take a look at is the junior high. In Davenport currently, a lot of our students are passed even though they may be failing. I've developed some ideas that may be solutions to that problem, but it is definitely an area where we need to take a harder look so that we can help these young people succeed."

In addition to education, Thede, a wife and mom to three daughters, hopes to bring a case for adult health care to the table in Des Moines.

"I know the state and our legislators are really trying hard to do something about our health care," she said. "We know kids are covered, but if we look further, we see that there are adults in need of coverage too. Some of those adults are unemployed; others just don't have many options in terms of insurance. I want to take a look at the issue of adult health care. How can we help the people of Iowa? There's no doubt it is a difficult thing to look at. It's expensive. But we have to take a look and see what can be done to help those in need of assistance."

A third key issue is the Iowa economy. Thede believes a more proactive approach to tourism might be helpful for Iowa businesses.

"When I attended a City Council meeting in Davenport, one of the things that came before the body was money that was earmarked for tourism. Unfortunately it simply wasn't much money," Thede explained. "How are we going to promote Iowa if we don't do a better job promoting tourism? Since then I've looked at Michigan and some other states that have had success with tourism. I'd like to see advertisements of our state -- some sort of a national ad campaign. Of course there need to be discussions on what should be done and on what scale, but I believe we need something that will put Iowa on better competitive market footing."

Above all else, Thede says she wants to have active communication with the people of the district. She says that if elected officials will listen, people will talk about their experiences and needs.

"It is so interesting that when you get out into the community and just talk to people," Thede said, "people are really good at telling you what they need. One lady told me how nice it would be if she could just keep her entire paycheck just for one pay period. She said, 'Wouldn't it be great if just for one day they wouldn't take out any taxes?' We just started talking excitedly about that. Wouldn't it be great? One day without any taxes? Now is that realistic? Probably not. But she was thinking about what would help her situation. For her that came down to keeping her full paycheck -- even it was only for one check.

"This one woman is not the only one. People are thinking. They are trying to put something out there that will benefit their situation and that of their friends and family. It's not that they want handouts. What they want is something they are earning, that they can keep. There are lots of good people out there and lots of good ideas out there. I just want to help them as much as I can."

Although I'm sitting in a meeting, I wanted to share the following press release from Congressman Bruce Braley that just hit my inbox. I've written extensively about the "plain English" bill and am personally very happy to see this pass and by such a huge margin.

On Eve of Tax Day, U.S. House Passes Braley’s Plain Language Act

Bill Would Require Government to Write Tax Forms, Other Documents in Easy-to-Understand, Simple Language

Today the US House passed Rep. Bruce Braley’s (D-Iowa) Plain Language in Government Communications Act (HR 3548), a bill that would require the federal government to write documents like tax returns, federal college aid applications, and Veterans Administration forms in simple, easy-to-understand language.

Braley’s bill passed by an overwhelming bipartisan margin, 376-1.

“This week, millions of Americans are finishing a confusing and often-times frustrating annual ritual: filing their federal tax return,” Braley said. “My hope is that the House’s passage of the Plain Language Act today will make this task a little bit easier in years to come.

“The Plain Language Act requires a simple change to business-as-usual that’ll make a big difference for anyone who’s ever filled out a tax return or received a government document. This bill shows what bipartisanship can accomplish when we put aside our differences and work together for the common good.

“There’s no reason why the federal government can’t write forms, letters, and other public documents in a way we can all understand. Requiring government agencies to write in plain, easy-to-understand language will make the government more accessible and accountable to American taxpayers.”

Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho), a fellow member of the House Oversight Committee who worked with Braley on the legislation, said, “Congressman Braley is to be complimented for his efforts to make government less complicated, and for working to put aside party labels to accomplish the best result for taxpayers. This effort proves Republicans and Democrats can work together and foster a culture of civility in Congress.”

The Plain Language in Government Communications Act (HR 3548) requires the federal government to write all new publications, forms, and publicly distributed documents in a “clear, concise, well-organized” manner that follows the best practices of plain language writing.

Braley introduced the bill last September. A companion bill introduced by Hawaii Senator Daniel Akaka was passed by a Senate committee last week.

Braley’s opening statement from today’s House debate is attached to this message.

Examples of Plain Language in Use:

Here are three before-and-after examples of how plain language was applied to federal documents to make them easier to understand. For more examples, see plainlanguage.gov.

Example #1: Medicare Fraud Letter

Example #2: FDA drug warning label

Example #3: IRS form (before and after)