Recently in Presidential Hopefuls Category

A couple of weeks ago I bought Sarah Palin's book.  I've not been a fan, but I've heard her say she is not fairly portrayed by the press.

I liked some of what I read.  I could relate, I too am the mother of four and have a wonderful husband.  I've also been known to buck the leadership in the Republican party and go rogue.  Me, complaining about the boys. There are other examples, but I'll leave those for other times :0)

When I got to page 248 and read about Sarah's visit to Cedar Rapids, I was appalled!  She did not remember a thing about us.  If you checked the above link, it is rather obvious that the McCain-Palin event is an event I remember well. 

I told asked Lynda to check it out. Iowa Independent has her report.  Cedar Rapids does not need to be portrayed this way.  What if people really are reading this book? 

If this was the picture I had of Cedar Rapids when Rockwell Collins asked my husband to interview, I would have said, "NO!"  Fortunately it was during Mayor Clancey's administration and we were sent a CD showing us the benefits of living in Cedar Rapids.  We ultimately chose Cedar Rapids over Tampa, Florida.

I hope our City officials take this opportunity for a bit of free national press since Sarah Palin is a Fox News analyst.  If she's to be believable at Fox, surely, they want to correct what has been done in error to describe our wonderful City and the heartache that Sarah should have seen when she visited.

Kathy Potts

Thursday, February 18
Candidate for Governor, Bob Vander Plaats will be at the Pizza Ranch, 1005 Linden Drive, Marion, from Noon to 1:30 PM to talk about his bid to unseat Governor Chet Culver and outline his priorities for the State.

Friday, February 19
Candidate for Iowa Attorney General, Brenna Findley will be at a Coffee at 4:00 PM, Mr. Beans in Marion, 1080 East Post Road.

Saturday, February 20
The League of Women Voters will be hosting a Legislative Forum with all Legislators in the area.  10:30 AM - 11:45 AM, Hallagan Center, Mercy Hospital, Cedar Rapids.

Wednesday, February 24
Former Governor Mike Huckabee will be joining gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats at the Marriot Hotel, Cedar Rapids from 5:30 - 7:00 PM.

 

It never pays to insult others.  Sarah Palin was speaking at the Tea Party Convention and made several negative remarks about President Obama using a teleprompter.  It wasn't too long afterward she was seen with writing on her hand.  So, we're going to make fun of the President for using the latest technology and we are going to do what we did in elementary school?  Give me a break! 

Did you see Chairman Steele of the RNC explaining that the leadership of the RNC was in Hawaii for business and not a vacation while wearing a floral shirt with a lei around his neck.  Nice move there Mr. Chairman.  The comedians appreciate material being handed to them.  It makes their job like Fox News, they just report it.  We look stupid all by ourselves.  It must be nice to be a rich Republican and not live in the real world with all of the rest of us dealing with a poor economy, high gas prices, a lack of job growth, etc.

Are there any Log Cabin Republicans in Iowa?  If you are here would you please speak up LOUDLY!!!  I am tired of hearing about the marriage issue.  I know that not all Republicans want a vote on marriage.  I am not interested in forcing my religious beliefs on anyone.  I don't want my government enforcing religious beliefs period.  Freedom of Religion matters. 

Kathy Potts

There are lots of things I like about Sarah Palin, not least among them the fact that by her very presence we have proof that the basic tenants of American feminism have made in-roads even in religious circles.

There are also lots of things I don't like about Sarah Palin, not least among them the perception she pushes of rural America. The multi-faceted truth, which I'll readily admit doesn't fit well into a 10-second sound bite, is much more complex and much more important.

I'll also admit something else: I wanted Sarah Palin to do well. We live in a world where there are far too few strong political female role models for young women on the left side of the political spectrum, and even fewer on the right. I wanted Palin to be the national equivalent of Iowa's own Joy Corning or Mary Lundby -- intelligent, well-spoken, and self-assured. Unfortunately, it didn't take long to figure out that Palin has nothing on the strong Republican women that have graced Iowa.

And, although further proof that Palin is politically (and perhaps ethically) lacking isn't needed, Andrew Sullivan has put together a list of "odd lies" attributed to Palin. It is true that Palin has been and continues to be a subject of unique interest for Sullivan, and it could very well be that this list would not exist were it not for that interest. (Yes, Mr. Sullivan, that's a nice way of saying that you have fixated on Palin at a time when many politicians are worthy of such scrutiny. I will, however, refrain from speculating as to why.)

As odd as it seems, Palin remains an important figure in Iowa politics by virtue of our first-in-the-nation status. Even if her influence never makes it outside of the Hawkeye State, it will create ripples here that could change the landscape our upcoming gubernatorial and statehouse races.

Republicans have been quick to point out during the Sonia Sotomayor hearings that a compelling personal story should not always translate into political success. They say that everything a person says or does -- and not just where a person comes from or has struggled through -- should be held in account while deciding if an individual is worthy of holding more power. I agree, and also believe the practice should not be limited to proposed Supreme Court Justices.

(Hat tip to Linda Thieman of Blog for Iowa)

(Note: Click the photos to read coverage from the Iowa event.)

More than any other group of people across the United States, Iowans know how long the 2008 presidential contests actually took. Long before official announcements were made, we were shaking hands in 2006 with individuals considering a possible presidential run. Some like Vice President-elect Joe Biden came and stayed. Others like Sen. John Kerry, Sen. Evan Bayh and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner tested the water only to find it not to their liking.

As Iowans look back today, they can do so with pride. We fulfilled our duty. We, once again, did our job for the nation. We took the field of candidates and tested them. We asked the tough questions. We forced the "rock stars" to meet with us one-on-one, leading to their understanding that popularity alone isn't enough for those who wish to head this great nation. Most importantly, we gave each candidate an opportunity to make his or her case -- and we weighed the options not only against our own interests, but against the overall interests of the nation.

As the nation celebrates the peaceful transition of our Office of President, we take a moment to look back at the man who is making history in the place where this unprecedented run began: Iowa. (The state that picks corn and presidents.)

Remember the story behind the Fired up. Ready to go. chant? If not, here's an audio clip of Obama telling it:

After Joe Biden was selected as Obama's running mate, I put together a round-up of my coverage of Joe Biden during the Iowa Caucus.

Congratulations to President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, Second Lady Jill Biden (although she'll never be second best in our book) and their entire families.

Most of the news out of Iowa this morning has spotlighted Gov. Chet Culver's State of the State address. While Culver's thoughts are important to Iowans, there was other news of importance to women today as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton sat before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to discuss her nomination for Secretary of State.

What immediately perked my 'all-things-women' ears about Clinton's appearance was that she repeatedly and unabashedly spoke of women and children. While it is historically not something that Clinton has swept under the rug, it often seemed to me that she allowed her own passion on the subject of women to be saturated while on the presidential campaign trail. It was a move, at least in my opinion, that allowed other candidates to swoop in on what otherwise could have been her turf.

Still, and regardless of the campaign's reasons for toning down the women rhetoric previously, it was more than good to hear Clinton speak out again with passion about the plight of women in our country and abroad.

"Of particular concern to me is the plight of women and girls, who comprise the majority of the world's unhealthy, unschooled, unfed and unpaid," she said. "If half the world's population remains vulnerable to economic, political, legal and social marginalization, our hope of advancing democracy and prosperity is in serious jeopardy."

The words -- some of the least robotic-sounding that I've heard Clinton utter in the past 18 or more months -- were made even the sweeter with knowledge that her mother, Dorothy Rodham, was listening from the sidelines and her daughter, Chelsea was in the gallery. As a mom and as a daughter I can only imagine the pride that must have been present in that room.

If you make the jump, you can read the full text of Clinton's prepared statement.