Essential Estrogen

At a campaign stop in Dubuque tonight for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, it was an audience member who had the most memorable line:

Clinton: When you travel abroad people ask you: 'What's happened to America?"

Male Voice from the audience: "BUSH!"

Although Sen. Clinton attempted to recover with a witty comeback ("This school has some smart students"), it was obvious the best and most direct line of the night came from the audience and not from Clinton herself.

On the whole, the stop at the University of Dubuque was over-shadowed by earlier activities in Alabama commemorating the the 42nd anniversary of "Bloody Sunday." Still, roughly 1,100 people came out to hear the Senator on the stump.

While most of the usual suspects were in attendance, there was one instance which continues to perplex.

A woman -- quite obviously a Clinton supporter -- made the comment that "women have been cleaning up after men since the beginning of time." (Why do people take the microphone during question and answer time for the sole purpose of making a comment? Couldn't that be done in a letter to the editor or directly with the candidate? Fodder for another post, no doubt.)

I'm not sure if Clinton was trying to work religion into her speech, if she was making another attempt at humor, or if this is something she thought was just appropriate given the context, but she began to weave this tale of a minister who once introduced her saying, "it was Eve who got humankind into this mess and it will take another woman to get us out."

What the hell kinda comment is that?!? Left with nothing else, I guess I must accept the fact that when Bill Clinton got into his little flings, Hillary stayed around because she honestly believes that women are the root of all evil? Gimme a break.

In a move which has drawn quite a stir in Des Moines today, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has backed away from questions as to why a speech she gave on Friday to the Human Rights Campaign wasn't publicized. Clinton's response: "You'll have to ask my campaign."

Clinton delivered the keynote address at a luncheon meeting of the group on Friday. Roughly 400 were in attendance and video of the speech has since been posted on the group's web site: hrc.org.

In the speech, Clinton expressed to the group a desire, if elected, for a better partnership with the gay community. "I want you to know that just as you always have an open door to my Senate office, you will always have an open door to the White House and together we can continue this journey," she said.

Traditionally, this meeting has been closed to the press. This also marked the first time that video of a keynote address was published on the group's web site. Gov. Bill Richardson is scheduled to speak before the group's Gala Dinner in Los Angeles on March 24.

According to their web site, the Human Rights Campaign is American's largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality.

The senior Senator from Connecticut, Christopher Dodd, scored an upset this past weekend during the York County, S.C. straw poll.

• Sen. Chris Dodd - 28%
• Sen. Barack Obama - 24%
• Sen. Hillary Clinton - 18%
• former Sen. John Edwards - 11%
• former VP Al Gore (write-in) - 8%
• Sen. Joseph Biden - 5.5%

It should come as no surprise to Iowans that Dodd is running an old-fashioned get-out-and-meet-the-people-in-small-groups campaign. After all, he's hired to long-time Iowa operatives to head up his effort:

Marc Beltrame, longtime senior staffer to Rep. Leonard Boswell, will run Dodd's South Carolina effort. Taylor West, press secretary for Gov. Chet Culver's 2006 campaign, was tapped to be Dodd's South Carolina spokesman. Dodd also picked up a couple from Sen. John Kerry's 2004 Iowa campaign.

Hey... maybe Iowa finally found something valuable we can export to the rest of the U.S.: campaign staffers.

If you're a stickler and still reading, looking for the estrogen in this story, you need to visit with Sen. Dodd and ask him to show you the pictures in his pocket.

Former Sen. John Edwards has announced a list of people who previously were number ones for former Gov. Tom Vilsack who have now committed to his campaign.

While we aren't typically the gals who bitch about people getting involved in the process, this list gives us pause (as we did after glancing through Vilsack's list). While there will always be some who will feel strongly about a particular candidate early on, is it really in the best interest of our state for elected officials to be endorsing any one candidate at this stage in the game?

If you look at the Edwards list -- and keep in mind these are only the previous Vilsack supports and not his entire list of Iowa ones -- you'll notice quickly at the top several Iowa Democratic Party Officials.

The time has come, we think for elected officials to have impartiality until caucus night written into their duties. That is, county chairs and other members of county executive boards, district central committee and state central committee members should not be allowed to endorse. Why?

Not to pick on the good folks down by Mt. Pleasant, but let's look at Edwards' list for Henry County. We've got the Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary all endorsing Edwards. (Note that this all means each of these people endorsed Vilsack -- which is probably understandable given the logistics.) This endorsement is all well and good for these people, but what about the remainder of the Democrats within that county?

I wonder how the other candidates are going to feel about contacting Henry County for visits and events in the coming months? Obviously the process put in place by the IDP is no longer of use to them and they will need to develop their own contacts within that county -- outside of the official party -- in order to campaign there effectively.

In this scenario, the endorsement by the county's elected officials limits everyone of their constituents and is unfair and, in our opinion, unethical. When one agrees to represent a group or region, one agrees to be part of something bigger than the individual. Therefore, you cannot be a good County Chair and a number one for any candidate.

To put it even more bluntly, we believe the Democrats in Madison, Henry and any other Iowa county in which executive board members have made formal endorsements should call a coup. We believe those on the State Central Committees of either party who have publicly endorsed a candidate should be immediately ousted from office. There are some things -- such as Iowa's status as First in the Nation -- which is bigger than any one person. Those elected to positions of influence and authority... those who have the most opportunity to perhaps tilt their county's relationship with a candidate should not be making endorsements. Period.

There are few things in life which really stick with you. Clothes are updated. Friends move in and out of your life. For Pete's sake, please remember to replace eye make-up every now and again! Furniture gets handed down to a relative, placed on the curb with a 'free' sign or sold in a garage sale. It seems nearly everything is temporary... except Southern accents.

Seeing how my friends at Media Matters have picked up on the Sen. Hillary Clinton 'fake' accent in Alabama last weekend, I've decided maybe my own life experiences can shed some light here. You see, I'm not a native Iowan. Although I married an Iowan, but I am -- and forever will be -- a southern girl. Forget the fact that we've made our home in Iowa for more than a decade, my roots remain just a phone call away.

In times of intense emotion (sadness, joy, anger, elation) my southern accent returns to me just as strong as the day I hopped in the U-Haul. After a half-hour of speaking with my sister on the phone, you'd swear I just blew into town from Mississippi. As the saying goes: You can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl.

From my own experience then I call foul on those who believe Clinton was faking an accent in Alabama. The woman lived in Arkansas for nearly two decades and the drawl sticks with you.

While I'm quite sure I could turn on the southern-speak if I desired to do so (just as I'm sure Clinton could as well), there are only certain times and places I'd do so. For instance, I might be willing to bat my eyelashes and unleash a soft, slow southern drawl if I were stopped by a nice male highway patrol officer. I might purposefully relax my jaws in an attempt to persuade my husband to take out the trash or fix something around the house. I've often employed the accent when commanding my dog. (Don't ask me why animals respond better to a southern accent, but they do.) I would never, however, switch to a southern accent anytime I wished to project intelligence and strength.

It didn't take long after moving to Iowa to understand what most folks expected from a woman who possessed such an accent. Think Daisy Duke... Mae West... Loretta Lynn. The perceptions of a woman with a southern accent are quiet different than the perceptions we have for males. Yeah, it's a double-standard, but one that every woman who has ever had/has a southern accent is well aware exists.

Three high school girls from a New York City suburb were suspended for saying the word "vagina" during a reading of The Vagina Monologues. According to the school's principal Richard Leprine, the word was not appropriate at a community event open to children. (I know there's a pun in there somewhere...)

Eve Ensler, author of the play, has surfaced to defend the girls and use of the word for female genitalia.

According to reports in the Des Moines Register last weekend Iowa Rep. Janet Petersen took a few moments -- during labor -- to speak on the phone with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Two hours following the phone call, the legislator gave birth to a healthy son, Buck Henry (7 lbs, 3 oz.).

Not only do we send kudos to the entire Petersen family, but we're very impressed with Janet's ability to multitask!

Newspapers in Tennessee, Pennsylvania and Michigan have pulled conservative commentator Ann Coulter's syndicated column following her comments at the CPAC, according to an article at Fox News. In addition, it was reported that three companies - Verizon, Sallie Mae and NetBank - have dropped their advertising from Coulter's site.

You'd think Ann would have learned a few things following the "spawn of satan" comment. which got her dropped from USA Today.

Prominent feminist and long time abortion activist Kate Michelman has not only endorsed former Sen. John Edwards, she took to the stage at a California rally to assert "as a lawyer, as a husband, as a father of two daughters, he understand the reality of women's lives. He understands the centrality of women's lives and experience to the health and well-being of society as a whole... He understands that on an extremely personal level."

Needless to say, the comments weren't met with only cheers. Some have commented that just as Toni Morrison christened Bill Clinton the first black president, Michelman is attempting to dub Edwards our first woman president. It is obvious to most, however, that Michelman still has a difficult time swallowing Clinton's 2005 speech.

Despite what you might have read in email this week, staring at a woman's breasts is not a form of exercise which will add years to your life.

Former Sen. John Edwards announced his campaign staffers and now Sen. Barack Obama has followed suit:

Jackie Norris (Senior Advisor) -- worked for former Vice Pres. Al Gore and former Gov. Tom Vilsack; Democratic activist and teacher at Johnston High School

Fran Starkey (Trip Director) -- former deputy communications director for Vilsack

Tommy Vietor (Iowa Press Secretary) - Obama's press secretary and staffer on the 2004 Edwards' campaign.

Marygrace Galston (Deputy State Director) - was coordinated campaign director for Washington State & was Sen. Murray's Field Director. Previously worked in Johnson County for the Kerry campaign

Mitch Stewart (Iowa Caucus Director) - was the coordinated campaign director for Minnesota for the 2006 elections, was Sen. Daschle's field director and an Iowa regional field director for Edwards in 2004.

Steve Chasse (Outreach Director) - worked for Sen. Kerry in 2004 and the the IDP during the general election before joining AFSCME's political staff in 2005 and 2006

Tsehaynesh Abebe (Field Director) - Waterloo native, grassroots community organizer (part of the Paul Wellstone Action Network); also executive director of the Living Project

Mike Blake (Deputy Political Director) - former Director of external affairs for the Michigan House

Gannet Tseggai (Iowa Deputy Press Secretary) - previously Sen. Ted Kennedy's Deputy Press Secretary in D.C.; worked for Kerry in 2004 in both Missouri and Ohio

If you missed it, Benny has the skinny on the Edwards staffers in his diary at Bleeding Heartland.

We (your friendly EE bloggers) are a bit frightened of opening our monthly phone bills. Since last weekend, we've been discussing, at every possible length, words which came from Sen. Barack Obama's mouth during his last trip into Iowa. And, no, this has nothing to do with the Middle East.

While speaking in Clinton last weekend, Sen. Obama made an off-hand comment (or at least that's what Lyn thought it to be at the time) about Iowa people wanting to grill all the Presidential hopefuls before making up their minds. He went on to add that he knew we all wanted to hear what "good-looking" Sen. John Edwards had to say.

Lyn at event: WHAAAAAAA?!?!

A short time later, Lyn placed a (the first of many) call(s) to Paige and relayed the oddness of the comment. Paige arranged to be in attendance at the Senator's stop the next day in Burlington and there heard him use basically the same strange statements, but with a twist: This time Edwards was referred to as "cute."

Paige at event: EEEWWWWW!!!!

Paige then phoned Lyn back and the two entered a conference call with Dee. Knowing that campaigns have often used Iowa as a testing ground when it comes to new ideas and so-forth, it was unfortunate we'd run out of consecutive Obama events in Iowa. Who knows where the progression would have led next?!

Throughout the week, we've batted our feelings about the Obama utterances back and forth in one-on-one and conference phone calls. One thing is for sure, no matter how the phrases were intended, they came out wrong as evidenced by the change between the two campaign stops. What the EE bloggers disagreed on was the level and intent of wrongness.

Wednesday evening we came to the conclusion that since no others seemed upset or even talking about the statements, we would just let it slide... unless Obama used them again. (While it's not likely such large groups in Iowa would still be considered 'testing grounds' by the campaign, we were willing to give the benefit of the doubt.) Unfortunately for Obama, The Hill picked up on the references too. Their take seems to be Obama was taking a jab at Edwards. This, at first glance, was one of our observations as well, but we eventually ruled it out as illogical. In polls, Edwards trails both Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Knowing that, why would Obama want to purposefully draw attention (even negative attention) to a contender ranking behind him? After all, one needs to only consider how the Edwards team made lemonade out of lemons during the recent Coulter nastiness to see how resourceful his staffers can be.

Speaking of the recent Coulter incident, we stand by our previous post stating the problem had nothing to do with Edwards being accused of gayness. The problem was -- and is -- the use of a term which negatively describes a group of people in such a way as to make that term even worse by its association to something so ugly that no one would want to be referred to with it. In other words, the term "faggot," ugly enough all on its own, was placed in a sentence as if being a faggot was the worst thing a person could ever be. Because of the outcry against Coulter for her continued blatant disregard for anything civilized, we highly doubt Obama was trying to use 'good-looking' and 'cute' as double-edged swords.

The core, however, of what we find offensive in the comment is Obama seems to believe Iowans -- arguably the most politically attentive and issue-driven people on the planet -- are swayed by a person's physical appearance, good or bad.

While all three of us will be first in line to confess Edwards is easy on the eyes, it is also true only one of us caucused for him in 2004. Along those same lines, none of us find Obama physically offensive yet none of us have hopped on his 2008 bandwagon. So,if Obama is trying to infer Iowans aren't up to the task of looking past nice suits, young faces, sparkling eyes, rosy cheeks or washboard abs in order to ask tough questions or understand key issues, then we expect him from this point forward to only stand on stage, bat his lashes and wiggle his ass while campaigning in the Hawkeye State. After all, Senator, why are you even wasting your time talking policy to all of these shallow Iowans? Let's see how far your good-lookin' face will get you come caucus time.

Here's a quick rundown of some of the bits and pieces you've might have missed:

Upcoming Peace Rallies

The folks over at Century of the Common Iowan have a nice list of the upcoming peace rallies in Iowa.

Clinton to headline for Boswell

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is scheduled to headline a fundraiser to kickoff Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell's re-election campaign. The fundraiser is slated for April 21 in Des Moines, according to the Clinton camp. No other details are yet available.

Judge appointed to national council

Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge was appointed to serve on the State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Government Coordinating Council for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The appointment is for one year and Judge said she plans to keep rural areas a focus of the group as well as major population centers.

Judge was also earlier named by Gov. Chet Culver as the Homeland Security Advisor for our state.

Fair Share bill waits for another day

There were not enough votes in the Iowa House for Democrats to want to debate Fair Share this week. And, according to the Des Moines Register, Rep. Dawn Pettengill (D-Mt Auburn) was seen by Republicans leaving the Democratic meeting with tear-stained cheeks.

The bill will sit throughout this week and is anticipated to come to the floor the week after.

Jacoby steps in for Petersen

Rep. David Jacoby (D-Coralville) was named interim Chair of the House Commerce Committee while Rep. Janet Petersen (D-Des Moines) is out on maternity leave.

The committee regulates business, financial institutions, insurance, utilities and real estate. It is one of the most powerful in the Iowa House.

In addition to his new assignment, Jacoby also serves on Appropriations, Human Resources and State Government committees. He is also a member of the Administrative Rules Review Committee.

It could be worse

According to Reuters, a Finnish member of parliament is aiming for re-election by campaigning with a translation of his web site into Klingon, used in the television series "Star Trek."

While we sometimes wish candidates spoke in obscure languages so they couldn't dominate every new cycle, Klingon is extreme even for us. Further the foreign politician said there have been translation difficulties since Klingon doesn't have words for tolerance and many colors (such as green, the party under whose banner he is running in the national elections tomorrow).

Of course, non-warriors can access his site in English, Swedish and Finnish.

According to staffers in the Clinton campaign, there will be two key endorsements on Monday. Former Gov. Vilsack has already indicated he will be one. Is Sen. Tom Harkin (a former Vilsack supporter) the other? Or, is it Rep. Leonard Boswell? He might be beholden to do so since Clinton has agreed to keynote his fundraiser on April 21.

In the Granite State, former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen has stated she will remain neutral... her husband, Bill Shaheen, has come forward to publicly endorse Clinton.

On Friday, the Chicago Sun-Times ran an article about three Waverly women who get together for knitting and conversation -- mainly political conversations. It was a great piece which shows just how intelligent and interested Iowa women are in the political process.

Lt. Gov. Patty judge toured at least two corporate darlings of the renewable energy industry this past week in order to generate support for the Iowa Power Fund. The fund, currently under consideration by the Iowa Legislature would provide $100 million over four years for research projects and assisting renewable energy industries in developing alternative energy sources. To date, specific details on how the money would be invested have not be released.

The Pew Research Center has released figures which show not only is the Bush legacy in trouble, but the entire strategy of the GOP -- to bridge the national divide between individuals who identify as Democratic and those who identify as Republican -- has been placed in danger. Americans are moving back to their historic roots of roughly 50 percent of the population being Democratic and 35 percent Republican.

GOP Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is stuck between a rock and a hard place. That is, he is stuck between President Bush and a key endorser, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson. One of Romney's key achievements is the salvation of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and it was followed by Romney vouching for Anderson in the 2003 campaign ad for re-election.

Currently, however, the mayor has gone on the record calling for the impeachment of both Bush and Cheney. This has prompted Romney to state to the Associated Press that he does not endorse or support the mayor's views on the Bush Administration.

Speaking of Sen. Dodd, he sent out an email to supporters this week comparing the race with American Idol: "Running for President has become a bit like American Idol. But beyond the glamour and glitz of celebrity politics, there are some time tested barometers measuring success: leadership, momentum, and fundraising," he wrote.

Since the Senator has quietly but effectively won straw poll victories in both New York and South Carolina and has come in second in the money race, we think more folks should probably be paying attention to his campaign.

Very quickly, because even I'm growing tired of the Clinton-Vilsack speculation... There's an article at the New York Sun stating that not only will the Vilsack's be endorsing Clinton, but will take on key roles within the campaign.

Sources said Mr. Vilsack will be named a national chairman of the campaign in Des Moines today, while his wife, Christie, will be named co-chairwoman of the Iowa operation.

The article also quotes former IDP Chair Gordon Fischer about the strength of both Vilsack's endorsement and his ground operation in our state. While Gordon is a terrific person and overall good man, he's far from an unbiased bystander when it comes to Tom Vilsack. Lest we forget, Gordon stated his prediction about the Vilsack campaign from the very beginning:

...As I said, I'll be blogging much more about this, obviously, but for now, I'm predicting it flat out: President Vilsack.

While most activists in Iowa understand and appreciate Gordon's position, it is worrisome when he is picked up by the national press and slapped with only his 'former chair' label. As of late, and especially when discussing Vilsack, Gordon has been more of a stalking horse than a state ambassador.

One other issue with the article: "The Vilsack endorsement could deliver the biggest blow to Senator Obama, because Senator Edwards already has a strong Iowa infrastructure from his run in 2004. It could also prompt some of Mr. Vilsack's Iowa staffers to defect to Mrs. Clinton."

Those Vilsack staffers who haven't already found a home with another campaign are probably jobless for a reason. This is Iowa! Last week my dog received a lucrative offer from one of the hopefuls. The cat is debating between local or national races.

As for dealing blows to other campaigns, it is doubtful -- at least from our perspective -- if Sen. Barack Obama will be touched by the endorsement. Currently, he seems to be utilizing his 'rockstar' image to full advantage in Iowa, tapping potential pools of previously non-active caucus-goers. While his campaign won't be purposefully pushing anyone away, some long-time Iowa activists have expressed they feel overlooked and/or ignored while the Obama folks court the newcomers.

The article is on the money about Sen. John Edwards. As we previously reported his staff went quickly to work, pulling Vilsack supporters into their own camp.

There are good quotes and insights toward the end of the article from Drake professor Arthur Sanders.

One thing is for certain, Iowans have seen Vilsack come from the bottom to win more than one political contest. It's difficult to ever completely rule him -- or his influence -- out.

Perhaps because he was aware Sen. Hillary Clinton would be in Des Moines this morning, Sen. Sam Brownback is scheduled to begin his in Iowa in the typical liberal stronghold known as Iowa City. Here are the particulars for those interested:

Iowa City Coffee Reception with Senator Sam Brownback
9 to 10:30 a.m.
Wig and Pen, 840 South Riverside Dr., Iowa City

Des Moines Luncheon with Senator Sam Brownback
Noon to 1 p.m.
Machine Shed, 11151 Hickman Rd., Des Moines

While in Des Moines, Brownback plans to address the Iowa House GOP Caucus and meet with the Register's editorial board.

A Women for Hillary Power Lunch has been scheduled from noon to 1 p.m. tomorrow, March 28. At that time, there will be a live web chat with Campaign Manager Patti Solis Doyle, Senior Advisor Ann Lewis, Director of Policy Neera Tanden and Senior Policy Advisor Leecia Eve. More info available on the Clinton web site.

While everyone knows we Iowans are all about the warm fuzzies, yesterday's Vilsack endorsement of the Clinton Campaign may have been less about the fuzz and more about the dough.

According to a post at the NY Times, the Clinton Campaign has agreed to help 'erase' at least a portion of the $430,000 debt Tom Vilsack accumulated in his own Presidential bid. The politicians are pointing to past personal connections (Christie Vilsack's brother, Tom Bell, served with Clinton on the Watergate Committee), but the public doesn't seem to be convinced.

A random poll of four people on the streets of downtown Cedar Rapids this morning showed that while all believed the endorsement was done for monetary gain, none found it shocking. "It's politics," said one woman while she laughed and walked away. "What do you expect?"

Another gentleman lamented the irony of Vilsack's recent calls for clean elections and grassroots politics while planning to back "one of the largest political machines in the world."

Iowans still remember when Vilsack took employment opportunities with MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. as a consultant on renewable energy and Drake University Law School as a visiting professor. In short, Iowans know their former Governor was not left penniless when he walked out of Terrace Hill two months ago.

While it will still be interesting to view the financial papers filed by the Vilsack and Clinton campaigns at the end of the month (made available April 15), don't expect any big revelations as to where the money came from and where it went. Chances are, the strategists have already decided not to let loose any funds until after the March 31st deadline, ensuring nothing will be reported until the next cycle. Even then, it will probably be buried under salaries, with Vilsack then paying his vendors from his private pockets. (Wonder how much a national chairman and Iowa Co-Chairwoman make?) The campaigns are no doubt hoping that most will forget by mid-summer and no one will take the time to dig deep enough to make the connections.

Those interested may also wish to view the two letters Tom Vilsack signed recently. The first requests money for his own campaign and the second requests the same for the Clinton campaign. The first letter went into the mail late last week and the second was an email blast by the Clinton Campaign just moments after the endorsement was official.

Be sure to read the second and let us know your thoughts on this statement:

Today, Christie and I made a contribution to Hillary's campaign, and we did it for two reasons.

Does that say/read what I think it says/reads?

The Denver Post is reporting Angela "Bay" Buchanan has been named one of the top advisors in Rep. Tom Tancredo's possible presidential bid. Bay is best known as the sister of Pat Buchanan. She directed Pat's three bids for the White House. She continues to share many of the same goals as her brother and they work together (she as president, he as chairman) on The American Cause, a site which attacks globalism and preaches what they call "conservatism of the heart."

In addition to working with her brother, she also served as U.S. Treasurer during the Reagan Administration. (At age 32, she was the youngest person to ever serve in that post.) Bay is chairwoman of Team America, Tancredo's PAC. It primarily collects and distributes money to politicians who share Tancredo's views, especially his extreme immigration views.

She has also been a commentator on The Situation Room and Inside Politics. Most recently she earned the ire of many Democrats when she falsely claimed on ABC's Good Morning America that Nancy Pelosi was "letting everybody know that she's going to spend two years with impeachment hearings."

Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of this announcement is from a religious viewpoint. Originally a Roman Catholic, she converted to Mormonism in 1976. While Buchanan hasn't typically had much pull within the overall Mormon community, her appointment must be a blow to former Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign which thought the Mormon angle was sewn up.

A military recruiter has come under scrutiny following a heated email exchange which she initiated. According to reports, a male civilian placed his resume on Careerbuilder.com where it was noticed by Army Recruiter Marcia Ramode. Ramode sent an inquiry email to the civilian who responded that he was not interested in a position and that he was gay.

What followed was a three-day email exchange in which Ramode, using her official military account, labeled the civilian as "disgusting and immoral" and tells him to "migrate to another country." (All the while using some of the most horrible grammar I've ever seen. When I first read the emails, they were so horrible I thought it must be a joke. Sadly, it isn't.)

In one email the recruiter states (capitals and all): "YOU GO BACK TO AFRICA AND DO YOUR GAY VOODOO LIMBO TANGO AND WANGO DANCE AND JUMP AROUND AND PRANCE AND RUN ALL OVER THE PLACE HALF NAKED THERE AND PRACTICE YOUR GAY MORALS OVER THERE THAT'S WHERE YOU BELONG."

More information available at The Frontlines and Pam's House Blend.

The good folks over at IowaPolitics.com (We just discovered today that EE is included in their blogwatch -- THANKS!) have the full text of Sen. Staci Appel's comments on Election Day Voter Registration.

Here's a taste:

...While access to participate in our democracy is important, it is equally critical that we maintain the integrity of every vote.

This proposed legislation is quite strict. It requires an individual to provide proof of residence with a photo id in order to register and vote on Election Day. It also requires the individual to sign a written oath testifying that they have not already voted in any other precinct.

This legislation I believe with the proper safeguards and training is an effective way to improve voter access and participation...

Marie Wilson and all the great people at The White House Project have finished up training sessions in Minnesota.

The sessions were held over a three-day period in Chaska at the Conference Center. For those interested in running for office (soon or someday) the information provided is extremely valuable. There are two more training sessions planned this spring. The next will be April 27 to 29 in Mableton, GA and the final will be May 19 and 20 in Denver, CO. Applications are being accepted for both sessions.

For those who want a sneak peek of the program, several video clips have been posted.

If you haven't already, head over to Crooks and Liars and check out the video of Ann Althouse and Jessica Valenti. Wow.

Planned Parenthood has formed a Pill Patrol and needs volunteers to sign up and check local pharmacies for emergency contraception.

The Edwards campaign has extended to me an invitation for some quality time with John and Elizabeth. While I do not plan on recording or blogging my entire conversation with them, I am open to asking questions on behalf of readers. If you have a comment or question you'd like me to pass on, please post it here or email it this weekend.

The cutoff for first-quarter fundraising was last night. Maybe we'll now be able to visit with candidates without one of their hands flying out, palm up. (But don't hold your breath.) The results of the money game will be officially available April 15.

Our prediction: the surprise coming out of this first quarter will be Sen. Chris Dodd and that his money situation will float him into the national media's top four on the Democratic side.

There is an interesting article in the NY Times which details how the emergency room visits and catastrophic injuries of all other sports combined do not surpass those caused by cheerleading.

This past week, The Caucus Cooler ran the story on former congressman Greg Ganske endorsing Sen. John McCain. It seems the GOP is also having troubles with key folks endorsing too early.

Hawkeye GOP has a preview of the upcoming Lincoln Dinner.

Hillary Clinton is planning another visit to Iowa.

Jesse Jackson endorsed Sen. Barack Obama.

The Johnson Co. Democratic Central Committee has elected State Central Committee member Brian Flaherty as chair. Another State Central Committee member, James Moody, was elected as vice-chair. The only disappointment in the elections is that there will only be three women -- out of the hundreds of capable and talented women in Johnson County -- serving on the executive board. Alicia Trimble will once again serve as second vice chair; Gina Schatteman was elected as treasurer; and newcomer Dawn Suter will be one of the co-chairs of the membership committee.

Sixty Des Moines jobs are placed on the chopping block as Meredith Corp. announces it will close the print version of Child magazine. The Des Moines-based company publishes 25 subscription magazines including Better Homes and Gardens. The final print edition of Child will be the June/July issue.

All of Iowa's four-year-olds could attend preschool paid for by the state and taught by licensed teachers if legislation which recently passed the House continues through the Senate. One thing I find worrying about this actually resulted from the graphic which ran with the article. The graphic is a map of the U.S. with states color-coded based on the percentage of four-year-olds enrolled in state-financed pre-kindergarten in 1005-06. The state with the most children in such program is Oklahoma. I need to do some more research to determine how long Oklahoma has had this program. As of right now, Oklahoma is lowering proficiency standards in order to bolster needed information under the No Child Left Behind Act.

State Rep. Geri Huser and Rep. David Tjepkes said they won't recommend an increase in the gasoline tax when they ask for more road work money. According to David Yepsen the pair will be looking to increase motor vehicle registration instead. (You know, you can register vehicles in other states for pennies compared to what residents pay here in Iowa.)

If you read our thoughts on Rep. Dawn Pettengill, you may also wish to click over to Iowa Progress and read their take on the situation as well. (They seem to be much more forgiving than we are.)

Iowa state republicans can finally put down the Kleenex since they've discovered an emotional pot to stir for the next few weeks.

I missed the Barbara Walters interview of Rudy Giuliani and Judith Nathan, but was able to read Seth Gitell's take on it.

Yesterday I completed an informal poll of Democrats at the Linn County Democratic Hall of Fame as to whether they had ever been included in one of those Zogby or other national polls (such as the one reported last week). Again, this was completely informal, but no one I asked at last night's event had ever been included in one of the national polls. We are beginning to wonder if it isn't only Western Iowans who are included in such things and if, quite possibly, we should begin to cry about it.

While Presidential hopefuls currently serving in Washington are having a difficult time juggling their responsibilities with campaign trail requirements, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson has stepped up to the plate and will be traveling to North Korea this month for meetings with government officials. While it may not gain him any points with Iowans who are feeling a bit ignored by him, it's bound to bring him a heck of a lot of press for those wholesale political states.

Democratic Presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich says his campaign has arrived at a "teachable moment and an opportunity for growth."

Bill Romjue was named Sen. Joe Biden's Iowa State Director.

Meanwhile, Mike Gravel, who gets ignored even by the pollsters, recently debated a law professor about the parallels between the Iraq and Vietnam wars. "What happened in Vietnam is that the best and brightest of the left took us to war without reason," he said. "In IIraq, [it was] the best and brightest of the right." Ouch.

Steve Forbes is endorsing Rudy Guiliani. Michigan State Sen. Jack Bradenburg is switching endorsements from Romney to Guiliani. (Check the link for more on the issues with Romney's campaign.)

Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama can't even escape controversial tidbits with their endorsements. BET co-founder and President of the Washington Mystics of the WNBA Sheila Johnson is endorsing Obama while her ex-husband (not on necessarily good terms) Robert Johnson, the other BET co-founder and owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats endorses Clinton>

In response to the media's interest in the contents of Anna Nicole's fridge, Iowa Guy has ... *gasp*... posted a photograph of the contents of his own refrigerator. Further, he'd like to collect others.