Presidential Hopefuls: September 2007 Archives

David Barnhart has joined the presidential campaign of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as Iowa caucus director. As a part of his duties, Barnhart will devise and implement the campaign's get-out-the-caucus strategy.

"I am honored to be joining Senator Clinton's Iowa campaign," Barnhart said in a prepared statement. "She understand the change Iowans and Americans across the country need and she has the strength and experience to deliver."

Barnhart has worked in politics for the past seven years. He served as the get-out-the-vote director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, leading the Democrats in gaining 31 new seats in the U.S. House in 2006. He was the field director for Sen. John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign in Missouri and, prior to that, was a regional field director for Kerry's caucus campaign in Iowa. Barnhart is a princple at Dewey Square Group.

"I am thrilled to add David Barnhart to our team," said Clinton. "David has had great success in Iowa in the past and he brings tremendous leadership and experience to our campaign."

The position of caucus director for the Clinton campaign became open earlier this month when Angelique Pirozzi vacated the post. To date, neither the Clinton campaign nor Pirozzi has discussed exactly what transpired.

Pirozzi was announced as part of the staff on Feb. 15. She had worked on the Clinton/Gore campaign in New Hampshire in 1996 and served as deputy caucus director for Iowans for Gore. During the fall of 2000, she was tapped to direct the Democrats' coordinated campaign in Wisconsin. She worked first as Sen. John Kerry's caucus manager in Iowa and then as Get-Out-The-Vote director.

Iowa Rep. Roger Thomas, D-Elkader, has become the tenth member of the Iowa legislature to endorse Delaware Sen. Joe Biden for president.

Crediting Biden's successful Senate passage of an Iraq federalism plan yesterday, Thomas says he believes Biden to be the best choice to lead the nation.

"Sen. Biden showed true presidential leadership yesterday with the passage of his Iraq amendment" Thomas said. "He worked with members of both parties in building a consensus, ultimately giving them the confidence to do the right thing and begin to shift the direction of U.S. policy in Iraq. I know the people of Iowa respect that kind of presidential leadership.

"In the time I've spent with Sen. Biden, I've been fortunate to get to know him on a personal level - and continue to be moved by his determination, caring personality and boundless knowledge of the key issues of the day. As chair of the Economic Growth Committee here in the state, I believe we need a president who has a deep understanding of the real economic circumstances most Americans are confronting."

Thomas serves on the Local Government, Veterans Affairs and Ways and Means committees and as chairman of the Economic Growth Committee. He was first elected to the state legislature in 1996.

This endorsement increases Biden's lead in the Iowa House. His nine supporters from that side of the Capitol is well above the other Democratic hopefuls. In the overall numbers game, Biden is now tied with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for the second-place slot when it comes to Iowa legislative endorsements. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton maintains her lead with 16 endorsements.

So, let's get the big question out of the way right up top: Strongest performance came from former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. A close second was Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd. Following equally close in third was Delaware Sen. Joe Biden.

Edwards did well for himself on several occasions. The one that stood out to me most was when he discussed his vote on the Iraq war and how he learned from his mistakes. (By the way, he owes a big head nod to former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel for bringing up today's Senate resolution regarding Iran.) He scored points here for not only once again announcing to the world that he made a mistake, but for pointing out that the mistake had bettered him -- that is, that he now understands the Bush Administration cannot be handed the trust of the American people or of the Congress.

Dodd was overall intelligent, sharp, comfortable and genuine. He did well by being himself and being comfortable in his own skin. His answers on Social Security -- even if his statements were later mis-quoted by others in the debate -- and on Chinese imports were good moments. If he had a down-beat during the night it was that he refused to follow-through on his own previous comments about why Republicans want New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to be the nominee. If the answer is what I think it is, he should have said it: Of all the people standing on this stage and of all the people who stand on the stage during the Republican debates, there is only one person who has the ability to motivate the conservative base and that person is Clinton.

I would have placed Biden higher in the standings tonight except for two things. First, he didn't rally around his own victory today in the Senate. He's been preaching on the Iowa stump now for weeks that he's the candidate who can bring Democrats and Republicans together and create progress. Today he was afforded a very rare real-life example and he didn't take advantage of it as he should have. Second, there are some clear and concise differences between him and the others on that stage on more than just stances on Iraq. He needs to bring those to the front as forcefully as he has foreign policy. So long as he continues to preach only on that one topic, he will continue to be equated as a candidate for secretary of state.

The weakest performances of the night belong to Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. Clinton was weak on several areas, but especially on Social Security. After so many years of the Bush Administration, the American people want clear answers. We want to know what our next leader thinks about important issues. We don't want to hear that our next leader is just going to set a table and accept opinions.

Clinton also loses points for the "go ask my husband" answer to the Presidential Library question. As she pointed out so aptly in answer to a different question, he's not on the stage.

Obama had some good moments. At one point he turned Clinton's stump statement about being glad so many are now interested in health care because it's been "a lonely road" and turned the tables. He alluded to the closed door meetings held so many years ago and said perhaps, she would have not been so lonely if she'd left the door open.

Despite that, Obama completely fumbled when he indicated he did not go to civil rights disputes in Jena because he was in Washington, D.C., casting votes on the Iraq war. He indicated that his votes on Iraq were "critical." Even as he said it, he paused, but then continued on. He must have realized in that moment exactly what he'd done: indicated that the issues in Jena were not critical. The fumble was complete when he neglected going back and correcting himself.

You will never hear me call for the ousting of either Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich or Gravel from the forums or debates. Although I believe many blogs will be calling for them to no longer be a part of the process, I have always believed and continue to believe that everyone deserves a seat at the table. The problem is not with the number of candidates, but with the number of topics being discussed.

Also, I realize that New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is climbing in the polls here in Iowa. For a while, he was rising on my personal presidential totem pole as well. Now, however, I'm not quite sure what I think about him. I don't agree with his belief in the economy as a cure-all for the nation's ills. I do like his stance on immigration, especially when he speaks about encouraging Mexico to provide for its own people. More and more, I'm not agreeing with his stance on Iraq. Inasmuch as I want this war to end, I also do not want to see my now 5-year-old son fighting over there 15 years from now.

As for the debate itself, I could have done without the "faith and politics" question -- especially since Tim Russert seems to equate "faith" in America with only one sacred text. Someone should have made the evening really interesting -- Gravel -- by reciting the Song of Solomon right there on prime time. Another useless question was the "Sox or Yankees" stupidity. Quite frankly, I bet we have men and women serving in Iraq who dream of the day when the only thing they have to worry about is who is going to win a baseball game.

For those interested in reading more of my thoughts as well as those of some other folks, visit the liveblogs at Iowa Independent and Back Roads to the White House. Links to the blogs of those participating at Back Roads: The Media Lizzy Show, Policy Media, TJ Sullivan in LA, UI Election 2008, RealClearPolitics Politics Nation Blog and Politisite.

The U.S. Senate voted 75 to 23 today to pass Delaware Sen. Joe Biden's amendment that provides for regional autonomy within a federal system. The amendment also calls for the support of the United nations and Iraq's neighbors to help implement an end to the civil war.

Speaking on behalf of his eight colleagues in the Iowa Legislature who have endorsed Delaware Sen. Joe Biden for president, Iowa House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy issued the following statement regarding the Senate vote:

“Joe Biden’s leadership on Iraq is the central reason why I endorsed him for president. Today, in a truly historic moment, the United States Senate passed an amendment sponsored by Sen. Joe Biden that puts forth a political solution to end the war in Iraq. Sen. Biden’s persistent leadership on ending the war finally gives Americans hope that the United States can put itself on track to leave Iraq without leaving chaos behind in the region. The overwhelming bipartisan support of the amendment – which both Senators Harkin and Grassley voted for – underscores Sen. Biden’s ability to unify our leaders on the most important issue facing the country.

"Today’s vote resulted in an overwhelming 75-23 majority, with over half of the Senate’s Republicans joining Democrats in support of Biden’s amendment. For over a year and a half, Sen. Joe Biden has been promoting a political solution in Iraq based on a federal government called for in the Iraqi constitution. His plan calls for a decentralized, federal system in Iraq, which would give its people local control over the fabric of their daily lives, including police, jobs, education and government services.

“In recent weeks, nine Iowa legislators have endorsed Joe Biden for President. While we all may have some varying reasons for doing so, we share one common belief and that is that Joe Biden is uniquely qualified to end this war in Iraq. Time and time again throughout his 35-year career in the Senate, he has rolled up his sleeves, worked across the aisle, and brought people to a consensus. Today was just another example of his ability to be a true leader. The Senator’s ongoing leadership and victory today in the Senate will translate well with Iowa caucus-goers.”

McCarthy is joined by eight Iowa legislators in his support of Biden: Sen. Joe Seng (Davenport), Speaker Pro Tempore Polly Bukta (Clinton), Rep. John Whitaker (Hillsboro), Rep. Doris Kelley (Waterloo) Rep. Lisa Heddens (Ames), Rep. Jim Lykam (Davenport), Rep. Mike Reasoner (Creston), and Rep. Dick Taylor (Cedar Rapids).

I've been extended an invitation by M.E. Sprengelmeyer of Back Roads to the White House to join in a live blogging event tonight with Rep. Tom Tancredo, Sprengelmeyer, Elizabeth Blackney of The Media Lizzy Show and whatever other special guests may show up. I'll also be doing double-duty as John Deeth live blogs at Iowa Independent.

We'll be stopping all intake of fluids at 5 p.m. just as added assurance that we can bring you all the action (snarky or not), non-stop from the start of the debate on MSNBC to the finish. Democracy is so much better with friends, so drop by and join in.

On the heels of a canceled special appearance at Des Moines Roosevelt High School, Dr. Alveda King, niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will meet with supporters of Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback this Friday in West Des Moines.

King, a noted anti-abortion activist, has been scheduled to speak at several venues during a tour of the state. Her appearance at Roosevelt was canceled, according to principal Kathie Danielson, following complaints from parents and when a review of the material showed the planned speech dealt with both civil rights and anti-abortion issues.

"Of course for public schools, any time there's any discussion of a controversial issue like sex, religion, in the school, we want to give our parents the option of asking that their student not attend," she told the Register yesterday.

King is the daughter of slain civil rights activist Rev. A.D. King. She has dedicated her life to anti-abortion causes and founded King for America, Inc. to "assist people in enriching their lives spiritually, professionally, mentally and economically."

"Defending the life of innocents is the most basic civil right, and I'm proud to support Dr. Alvada King and her efforts on the pro-life issue, civil rights and helping people in need," said Brownback.

The meeting with Brownback supporters to discuss civil rights and anti-abortion causes will be held on Friday from 11:15 a.m. to noon at the Brownback for President Iowa headquarters, 2700 University Ave., Suite 206, West Des Moines. King has formally endorsed Brownback in his bid for the White House.

King will speak at Iowa State University tonight and at Drake University on the racial implications of abortion on Thursday night. Her visit is sponsored and organized by Iowa State University Students for Life, the Iowa State Committee on Lectures and Drake University Respect for Life.

Iowa House Speaker Pro Tempore Polly Bukta, D-Clinton, has become the ninth member of the Iowa legislature to endorse Delaware Sen. Joe Biden. With the addition of Bukta, the campaign's endorsement list includes five members of the Iowa House Leadership.

Biden was one of four candidates to attend Bukta's annual corn boil held in August. Biden was the final speaker of the day and many in the stands at Riverfront Stadium in Clinton had moved to the grounds, most scampering after New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards on a quest for pictures and autographs.

On that day, Biden spoke forcefully about his plan for Iraq and his reasoning for voting to continue funding.

"The truth is that when we voted several months ago on dealing with whether we were going to fund the troops another six months -- the truth is I was the only Democrat to vote for it," he said. "I know a lot of you are angry. Every other Democratic candidate running for president was among the 14 'no' votes. I was told that voting to fund the troops could cost me the election here in Iowa. But, ladies and gentlemen, the truth is as long as there is a single American troop in Iraq... we have a sacred obligation to protect them."

Bukta, who organized for Biden during his previous run for the White House, is a strong legislative figure in Clinton and the surrounding area and, as such, was wooed by many presidential campaigns. The decision, she said, came down to loyalty and experience.

"I've known Joe Biden for over 20 years," she said. "His loyalty and honesty are second to none - and those are two critical qualities I am looking for in the next President. However, perhaps even more important to me, is how we are going to bring our men and women home from Iraq safely. Joe Biden is the only candidate with a thoughtful and sensible political plan to do just that."

Bukta, a lifelong educator, recently retired after 33 years in the Clinton Community School District, where she taught 5th grade. She currently serves on the Education, Transportation, Veterans Affairs and Local Government Committees.

"Polly represents the best our party has to offer" said Biden. "She is a mom, a school teacher, and a leading legislator in Iowa. She is a woman who knows what it takes to bring both parties together in delivering results for Iowa's families."

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will be airing a new ad soon -- as soon as supporters tell him which one.

Touting his latest ad, "Change Begins With Us," Romney sent a letter to supporters this morning asking that they visit his site and cast a vote for one of nine finalist ads.

"A few weeks ago I announced an innovative new approach to campaigning," he wrote in the email message. "I told you I wanted America to create my next television ad. During the past few weeks there have been responses from all across the country."

The finalists feature Romney discussing government waste, Ann Romney discussing the couple's family life, a collage of supporters in various fields highlighting Romney's accomplishments, a volunteer from the Salt Lake Olympics, Romney's resume, photos from the campaign and Romney's reasoning for running for the White House. Much of the audio used in the ads has been previously used by the Romney campaign as a part of its YouTube channel.

The winner of the poll, according to the email, will become the official campaign television ad. The voting ends at noon eastern tomorrow.

If you hop over to Iowa True Blue today, you'll see that former Iowa Democratic Party Chairman and longtime Iowa activist Gordon Fischer has now officially endorsed Illinois Sen. Barack Obama:

When I relaunched this blog six weeks ago, I shared my four goals: (1) to be positive; (2) to address the negative influence of Big Money in politics and need for campaign finance reform; (3) to show how "ordinary" people can reach extraordinary results through politics; and (4) to show why politics is important.

I came back to these same four goals again and again over the past several months as I reflected on the outstanding Democratic field of candidates for president and considered whom to support. Who could make people feel positive and hopeful about our future? Who would take a meaningful stand about how money can negatively influence the political process? Who would inspire a whole range of Democrats -- young and old, party establishment and first-time caucus-goers -- to get involved? Who would help remind us of the good that we can accomplish through politics?

Clearly, the candidate with the greatest ability to achieve all these goals is Barack Obama...

You can read his entire endorsement by following the link above.

What's most interesting about this endorsement is that it is Gordon's second for the 2008 presidential race. Obviously, his first choice -- former Gov. Tom Vilsack -- is no longer in the race... at least for himself. Still, it is interesting to turn back the wheels of time for a look at what Fischer had to say back then:

Prediction: Tom Vilsack Will Be The Next President of the United States

Flat out.

Now, this will sound like I'm bragging, but I'm really not. I am a quite humble person (frankly, I have many, many, many reasons to be humble). But I do have a solid track record for accurate predictions.

In 2005, before spring training, I predicted the Chicago White Sox would win the World Series.

In 2006, as you can see from this site, I was pretty dead on with my political prognistications.

I will write much, much more over the coming days, weeks, and months, but a few reasons for my prediction (in absolutely no particular order):

1. Tom Vilsack's personal story is simply incredible, and will both help readily distinguish him from the pack, and allow him to connect with working families.

2. He has never run in an election he was favored to win, but has never lost an election.

3. On the stump, when he is on, Tom Vilsack is as good or better as any politician out there.

4. He helped -- in fact, I think he was the single biggest reason -- Iowa turned from purple to solid blue. That's a huge feather in his cap, and one that will attract Dems nationally.

5. Tom Harkin. He is simply amazing, and will be a gigantic help.

6. Ditto Sally Pederson and Jerry Crawford.

7. He is a governor. The last time a sitting member of Congress was elected President? John Kennedy in 1960. With all due respect to the other candidates, that is no historical accident.

8. Not only is he a governor, Tom Vilsack has been a great Governor. Especially on issues like schools, health care, clean air and clean water, jobs, and other issues Dems are really passionate about.

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

I'm not saying Fischer is without right to change his mind. Nor am I saying that his endorsement of Obama is any less heartfelt or sincere than his endorsement of Vilsack. I just think it is an interesting turn of events, especially given that at least two of the individuals he names as reasons for his previous support are now marching with another campaign. Most interesting of all, however, has to be the fact that there is absolutely no mention of his previous endorsement during today's posting. Surely he didn't think we just forgot.

~*~*~ UPDATE ~*~*~

NBC/NJ's Carrie Dann also remembers the past and points out how Fischer criticized the Obama campaign in June for not attending the IDP Hall of Fame in Cedar Rapids.

This is worthwhile to mention because Obama has been feeling a little heat over skipping the AARP/IPTV "Divided We Fail" forum and campaigning in Georgia instead.

There was a distinct disconnect last night at the AARP and Iowa Public Television "Divided We Fail" Democratic presidential forum between what happened on the stage for broadcast and what happened throughout downtown Davenport following the event.

Several times during the public broadcast New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson took swipes not necessarily at the two higher-polling candidates on the stage, but at those who are polling below him in Iowa. The sparks began about 30 minutes into the programming when Richardson discussed why he would be the best candidate to implement a health care plan.

"I think I'm the only one here who has ever dealt with health care directly as a governor," said Richardson during the forum. "In my state, we had to face the Bush cuts on Medicaid and what we did is make up for that shortfall. I was able to ensure children under five. We increased the number of immunization and removed junk foods from schools. We have dealt with, first of all, insuring kids, working people and then the chronically unemployed. I believe by the year 2009 we will have ensured everyone in my state."

Richardson went on to say the states can't fix the health care system alone.

"There has to be universal health care," he said. "There has to be a national plan because the states are getting short-changed. In the absence of any federal action or any federal leadership, the last time we debated universal health care in the Congress was 15 years ago. It has to happen. We need somebody who can get it done and I've had to deal with this directly as a governor."

Moderator Judy Woodruff then asked Delaware Sen. Joe Biden if a government-run, single-payer system was the answer instead of shoring up the current system. Biden first answered the question by stating that he believed a single-payer system was not the answer, gave a quick plug for campaign finance reform, then took exception to Richardson's remarks.

"My good friend from New Mexico -- God love him," said Biden. "His state is a couple of million people. Give me a break! You can pull that together. Pull together 300 million people. That's like saying I played half-back when I was in high school so I can play in the pros."

Using criticism that had previously been lain on his own door-step, Biden then stated that Richardson is "a great governor and would make a great secretary of state." In case anyone missed the self-depreciation part of that, he spelled it out for everyone.

"I love Hillary Clinton," Biden said. "I've been getting beat up because I'm always saying nice things about her. They think I want to be her secretary of state. But, let's be frank about this. What's changed to make you think that Hillary is going to be able to pull together 15 percent of the Republicans to join her?"

Biden, on a roll, then took swipes at all the other candidates on the stage -- except Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd.

"What's changed to make you think John [Edwards], who couldn't get the Patients Bill of Rights passed when he was in charge of it in the United States Senate, is going to be able to pull over 15 or 20 people?" Biden asked. "I don't question the integrity of a single person on this stage, but what's the record of being able to get folks in those red states to vote for this stuff? Folks, think about it. There is no possibility of getting any one of our plans unless you get 15 or 20 percent of the Republicans to join us."

The disagreements between the candidates continued throughout the remainder of the broadcast. Richardson disagreed with Dodd's plan for corporate carbon taxes. Biden took exception with Richardson's assertion that economic growth was an answer for the nation's ills. While there were small swipes here and there between former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Clinton, the night belonged to Richardson, Biden and Dodd as they exposed their differences and expressed their passions to a very receptive audience.

Following the forum, Dodd remained fired up and said the American people were tired of talk without action.

"Results matter," he said. "People want to to know not only how good of a fighter you are, but they want to know whether or not you can produce. Most people know how to fight, but not everybody knows how to win. People, I think, are tired of the fighting and want results. They don't want to go year-end and year-out hearing the same debate every time about education, health care, the war in Iraq -- they want you to get it done. The people want leadership that knows how to do it not just with talk, but with proven ability to make it happen."

Dodd added that it was time to "get the damn job done or people are going to be really hurt in this country." That's one of the reasons why, he said, so many Americans remain undecided.

"It's their health care," he said. "It's their kids' educations. It's their jobs. The American people don't want anymore fooling around. They want someone who can make something happen -- who has proven he can make things happen."

For all the distance candidates were placing between themselves on stage, however, the after-receptions throughout the area did not reflect divisiveness. At a local brewery staff and supporters from the campaigns of Edwards, Dodd, Biden and Richardson sat together with smiles on their faces while the forum was re-hashed. While every individual was quick to tell you that his or her chosen candidate had the best performance, there was an under-current of good will toward all the Democratic hopefuls and their accomplishments on the stage. Most were exceptionally pleased with the turnout, the forum, the discussion and the more relaxed atmosphere of this forum when compared with the more strict debate events of recent weeks.

If there were sour grapes, they were for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for declining to participate and toward organizers for not allowing Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich or former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel to participate.

"We are here even though Dennis was not invited," said Marcos Rubenstein, Iowa spokesman for Kucinich, as he handed out informational flyers outside the event. "It is clear that he was not invited because he's the only one proposing single-payer, universal health care. Dennis is a national leader and they are using a bunk excuse for him not be invited. This is clearly a political exclusion. I hope that from now on [such events] will be a little more fair and inclusive."

Gravel, who was also not invited, did not have anyone on the ground at the event.

Tommy Vietor, Iowa spokesman for the Obama campaign, said prior to the event that their campaign reaches out to senior citizens daily.

"We've also held a number of senior-issue focused events and will hold another on Friday," he wrote. "In June, Obama hosted a roundtable discussion in Story City about how his prescription drug plan would save seniors as much as $157 billion over the next decade. In May, he held an event at the Polk County Central Senior Center to discuss reforms to the Medicare Advantage program that would help prevent seniors from being defrauded. And in April, Obama met with seniors at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown."

Last night Obama presented comments to a $25-a-head event at the Georgia World Congress Center that organizers said drew 2,200 supporters. A private, $1,000-per-person event followed, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

AARP and Iowa Public Television will return again next month to host a forum for the Republican presidential hopefuls in western Iowa. Although all of the candidates have been invited to participate, only former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Arizona Sen. John McCain have confirmed they will be in attendance.

I'll have extended commentary on the "Divided We Fail" Democratic presidential forum held in Davenport tomorrow... uhmm, I guess it will technically be later today. Until then, however, you can read the live blog on Iowa Independent and look at the photos below.

The presidential campaign for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has a new State Leadership Committee hitting Iowa streets and a new ad hitting Iowa airwaves.

The leadership team -- members outlined below -- will advise the campaign and organize in local communities. The first test of the organization will come this Saturday when members will organize a statewide canvass.

The ad, entitled "Believe," details Obama's experience taking on lobbyists and bringing politicians together on issues.

While there is no denying that Obama has a strong organization in Iowa, it remains to be seen if he will finally be the politician who can translate support from younger voters into Iowa caucus-goers. Older Iowans are typically the ones who come out on cold winter nights to support their candidates.

Given that, it's difficult to understand the political strategy that has gone into the Obama campaign's decision to not attend the AARP/Iowa Public Television Democratic presidential forum tomorrow night in Davenport. Earlier this evening when I asked Obama's Iowa team to explain the decision, I was emailed a copy of an Aug. 18 memo by Campaign Manager David Plouffe that read, in part:

...Unfortunately, we simply cannot run the kind of campaign we want and need to, engaging the voters in the early states and February 5 states, if our schedule is dictated by dozens of forums and debates. Ultimately, the one group left out of the current schedule is the voters and they are the ones who ask the toughest questions and most deserve to have those questions answered face to face.

Therefore, after this week, we will only be attending the DNC debates through the sanctioning period of December 10, Univision, and the two Iowa debates previously mentioned. [The two debates scheduled for December -- I believe those are the Brown and Black and the Register/IPTV that has been pushed back due to possible caucus date changes.] Candidate forums -- where candidates appear sequentially will be considered, but we are unlikely to accept many of these. Instead, Barack will spend his time answering questions directly from the voters in places like Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada and elsewhere. We simply cannot continue to hopscotch from forum to forum and run a campaign true to the bottom up movement for change that propelled Barack into this race.

...

Many friends and terrific organizations are sponsoring or planning to sponsor debates and forums. So this was not an easy decision for us to execute. But it simply won't work to navigate this one by one. We felt we needed to make our approach clear and consistent.

I think this approach will be better for the voters and the campaign.

Iowa spokesman Tommy Vietor added that the Obama campaign reaches out to senior citizens daily.

"We've also held a number of senior-issue focused events and will hold another on Friday," he wrote. "In June, Obama hosted a roundtable discussion in Story City about how his prescription drug plan would save seniors as much as $157 billion over the next decade. In May, he held an event at the Polk County Central Senior Center to discuss reforms to the Medicare Advantage program that would help prevent seniors from being defrauded. And in April, Obama met with seniors at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown."

Regardless, it remains difficult to understand why any campaign would want to pass up an opportunity to speak before this many people who are nearly guaranteed to be active caucus participants come January (or whenever).

Given that one of the widest criticisms of Obama has been a perception of lack of experience, not attending such forums only enhances and gives spark to rumors that he isn't ready and doesn't have the ability to share the stage -- that the campaign might be worried his inexperience will show through.

The 2004 election was unprecedented. That is, we put our nominee out there so early in the game and ahead of the national nominating convention, that we opened him up to major ugliness. It was bad, but at least both Sen. John Kerry and then Sen. John Edwards had completely offered themselves up to the people of Iowa and New Hampshire throughout the vetting process.

If the other candidates decide to take a page from the Obama strategy guide, we will end up with little more than a media-anointed nominee with a fat wallet and the possibility of some noisy skeletons in the closet.

I'm sure each campaign gets more appearance requests than it can handle. Truth be known, if I thought it'd be worth a shot, I'd invite them all to come visit my Girl Scout troop for the evening. It must be nothing short of a nightmare to try and balance the schedule of a sitting United States Senator with the desires of not only Iowa and New Hampshire, but Nevada, South Carolina and all the other states participating in the "ad buy" primaries set for Feb. 5. When all is said and done, that's the exact reason campaigns hire experienced schedulers and network exceptional surrogates.

The campaign blowing off my Girl Scout troop would be disappointing... the campaign blowing off the senior citizens actively involved with AARP is potentially disastrous.

Iowa Leadership Team

Alburnett - Liz Belden
Ames - Thomas Harrington, Wayne Clinton, Jan Bauer, Hector Avalos, Jose Amaya
Anamosa - Cecelia Parks
Bellevue - Lynn Wacker
Bettendorf - Dennis DeDecker
Buffalo Center - John Ralls
Burlington - Nancy Schulte, Andy Anderson, Pat Anderson
Carroll - Dr. Steven Kraus
Cedar Falls - Michael Blackwell
Cedar Rapids - Peggy Whitworth, Dale Todd, Libby Slappey, Tyler Olson, Sarah Olson, Jesse Martinez, Charles Crowley, Lu Barron
Center Point - Mickey Dunn
Centerville - Jim Jameson
Chariton - Buzz Malone
Clear Lake - Mario Rodriguez
Clinton - Charlie Sheridan, Conner Anderson
Clive - George Appleby
Columbus City - Frank Best
Columbus Junction - Frank Jamison
Coralville - Carol Kula, Sue Dvorsky, Bob Dvorsky
Council Bluffs - Janet Sutherland, Ryan Sewell
Creston - Marsha Wilson
Dakota City - Terry Kocher
Davenport - Janet Woods-Bragg, Henry Vargas, Roger Kirk, Vera Kelly, Ida Johnson, Karen Fitzsimmons, Bill Gluba, Tom Engelmann, Ethelene Boyd, Lisa Arbisser, Amir Arbisser Decorah - Matt Perkins, Amy Perkins
Denison - Richard Meyer
Des Moines - Rose Vasquez, Savan Thongvanh, Rev. H.I. Thomas, Eric Tabor, Phil Roeder, Dolph Pulliam, Diane Pickle, Alba Perez, John Norris, Tom Miller, Jim Maloney, Sharon Malheiro, Abby Longstreet, Tom Hockensmith, Justin Gross, Willie Glanton, Nolden Gentry, Carlos Garza, Jacquie Easley, Christopher Diebel, Brendan Comito, Frank Chiod, Som Baccam, Pamela Bass-Bookey, Rev. Derek Bastian, Nancy Bobo, Harry Bookey, Rev. Toussaint Cheatom
Donnellson - Michael Bennett
Dubuque - Ruby Sutton, Greg Simpson, Ruth Scharnau, Ralph Scharnau, Art Roche, Joyce Monahan, Katie Determan, Thom Determan, Rev. Ken Bickel
Eldridge - Frank Wood
Essex - Bob Chambers
Fairfield - Jay Mattsson
Fort Dodge - Helen Miller, Dr. Ed Miller
Ft. Madison - Marjorie Marsh, Gordon Liles, Cheryl Liles, Grace Harris, Lois Eichacker
Glenwood - Mike Godbout
Hampton - Vern Harper
Holstein - Lori Sokolowski
Iowa City - Ross Wilburn, Damon Terrill, Pauline Taylor, Dick Myers, Dianne Dillon-Ridgley, Rev. Orlando Dial, Amy Corriea
Kalona - Kay Ciha
Keokuk - Mike Short, Geoffrey Mitchell, Kevin Kull, Justin Tuck, Jane Babcock
Keosauqua - Mary "Twyla" Peacock
LeClaire - Linda Newman, Cathy Bolkcom
Letts - Tom Furlong
Logan - Gary Altwegg
Luana - Pat McNally
Manchester - Robin Stone, Eric Solomon, Estella Michels, Seth Cobb
Marion - Gretchen Lawyer
Mason City - Phil Sanchez, Blake Dirksen
Missouri Valley - Lyle McIntosh
Montrose - David Ireland, Ronald Dinwiddie
Mt. Pleasant - Monie Hayes, John Zimmerman
Muscatine - Chris Clark, Phyllis Avesing, Bonnie Adkins
New London - Karen Osborne
North Liberty - Steve Sovern, Bonnie Sovern
Northwood - Brett Blix
Shenandoah - Brian Kingsolver
Sigourney - Susan Conroy
Sioux City - Corey Munson, Pat Johnson
Story City - Rich Olive
Tipton - Douglas Simkin
Urbandale - Rev. Keith Ratliff
Walker - Patricia "Ann" Gerdts
Washington - Fred Stark, Holly Soborof, John Greener, Linda Boston
Waterloo - Louise E. Porter, Abraham Funchess, Belinda Creighton-Smith
Waukee - Mike Fitzgerald
Webster City- Howard Hunt, Doug Bailey
West Burlington - Roxy Riessen, John Riessen
West Des Moines - Richard Wilkey
Winthrop - David McElroy

The presidential campaign for Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd has announced an expansion of its Iowa leadership team with county chairs for 20 more of Iowa's counties.

"This group of talented and dedicated people are one more piece of the strong, tested organization the Dodd campaign is building on the ground in Iowa," said Taylor West, Dodd's Iowa spokeswoman. "Caucus support isn't bought with money and celebrity - it's earned by committed leaders spreading Senator Dodd's message of proven leadership from neighbor to neighbor. The campaign is honored to have the support of this well-respected group, and we look forward to working with them across the state."

• Polk County
  • Dick Murphy, Des Moines, Polk County School Board and returned Peace Corps volunteer
  • Rose Mary Pratt, Des Moines, Democratic activist and former staff member in the office of Gov. Tom Vilsack
  • John Tekippe, Waukee, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 4 President
• Linn County
  • Rick Scofield, Marion, IAFF Local 11 President
  • Jerry Vuichard, Cedar Rapids, IBEW Local 1362 Business Manager
• Scott County
  • Jose Bucksbaum, Davenport, Affirmative Action Chairman for the Scott County Democratic Central Committee
• Johnson County
  • Pat Harney, Iowa City, Johnson County Supervisor
  • Eric Nurnberg, Iowa City, IAFF Local 610 President
• Black Hawk County
  • Tom Powers, Waterloo, IAFF Local 66 President
  • Dr. A. Frank Thompson, Cedar Falls, Treasurer and former president of the United Faculty at the University of Northern Iowa
• Dubuque County
  • Helene Magee, Dubuque, Publicity Co-Chair for the Dubuque County Democratic Central Committee
• Story County
  • Mike Bryant, Ames, IAFF Local 625 President
• Woodbury County
  • Rob Marqusee, Sioux city, Woodbury County Director of Rural Economic Development
• Pottawattamie County
  • Justin James, Council Bluffs, IAFF Local 15 President
• Clinton County
  • Joel Atkinson, Clinton, IAFF Local 609 Vice-President
• Cerro Gordo County
  • Jerry Taylor, Mason City, Democratic activist and member of the Cerro Gordo County Democratic Central Committee
• Des Moines County
  • Diane Ehret, Burlington, teacher and Democratic activist
  • Al Pealer, Burlington, veteran and former VFW Post Commander
• Dallas County
  • Bob Skow, West Des Moines, former state representative and Chief Executive Officer for Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa
• Warren County
  • Kevin Middleswart, Indianola, Warren County Supervisor
  • Scott Voogd, Indianola, teacher and Democratic activist
• Lee County
  • Bill Olmsted, Keokuk, Kiokuk City Councilman
• Muscatine County
  • Mark Butterworth, Muscatine, small business owner and retired teacher
• Marshall County
  • Wayne Sawtelle, Marshalltown, Marshall County Democratic Central Committee Vice-Chairman and former political director for Iowa Professional Fire Fighters
• Webster County
  • Ernest Kersten, Fort Dodge, Webster County School Board and Democratic activist
  • Mary B. Wilson, Fort Dodge, retired teacher and former member of the Webster County School Board
• Wapello County
  • Marlin Hesse, Ottumwa, Democratic activist
• Marion County
  • David Isgrig, Pleasantville, Superintendent of Pleasantville Schools

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has launched a new ad in Iowa and New Hampshire and will hold a live, national webcast tonight touting her newly released health care plan.

Yesterday, Clinton was in Des Moines to launch her health care plan that includes mandatory coverage for all Americans. The webcast tonight (sign up on the campaign site) will begin at 8 p.m. Clinton is expected to field answers to questions about the plan.

The new ad is a 30-second spot dubbed "Health Care Plan." It details the candidate's experience on the health care issue, focusing on her efforts to pass universal health care in the early 1990s and her work with the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Text of the ad:

Voice Over: She changed our thinking when she introduced universal health care to America.

She changed the lives of six million kids when she championed the bill that gave them health insurance.

And she changed future generations by pushing the drug companies to lower the cost of vaccinations.

Now she has a health care plan that lets you keep your coverage if you like it, provides affordable choices if you don't and covers every American.

So if you¹re ready for change, she's ready to lead.

HRC: I¹m Hillary Clinton and I approved this message.

Things move fast in Iowa. Within minutes of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's unveiling of a mandatory health insurance plan in Des Moines critiques were rolling in from rivals on both sides of the political fence.

"While she talks about the political scars she bears, the personal scars borne by the American people are far greater," said Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, who is also seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. "The mismanagement of the effort in 1993 and 1994 has set back our ability to move toward universal health care immeasurable. We've known what the problems have been for nearly 15 years, and what the solutions could be. What's been missing is leadership that knows how to bring people together and get the job done."

Dodd went on to add that affordable health care will take more than leadership "that simply knows how to fight -- it will take leadership that knows how to bring people together and win."

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama said Clinton's plan was similar to his, rolled out earlier this year. In addition to pointing out the differences between the two plans, Democratic contender Obama also alluded to Clinton's failed plan during the 1990s by stating that no plan could be enacted without "an open process."

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards stayed on message by strengthening the ropes he's forged to tie Clinton to Washington insiders.

"The cost of failure 14 years ago isn't anybody's scars or political fortune, it's the millions of Americans who have now gone without health care for more than 14 years and the million more still crushed by the costs," he said. "So I'm glad that the architect of the 1993 plan has another care proposal -- and if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then I'm flattered. But unless Senator Clinton's willing to acknowledge the truth about our broken government and the costs of health care reform, I'm afraid flattery will get us nowhere."

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican presidential hopeful, didn't let the fact of the nomination process still being underway prevent him from attacking the Democratic front-runner for what he termed "a reprising of 'Hillarycare.'"

"In her plan, we have government insurance instead of private insurance," he said. "In her plan, it's crafted by Washington; it should be crafted by the states. In her plan, we have government Washington managed health care. Instead, we should rely on the private markets to guide health care."

It was roughly 13 years ago that Clinton's first effort at improving health care was abandoned. Today in Des Moines, she rolled out a plan with little in common with her earlier effort.

The centerpiece is an "individual mandate," requiring everyone to carry health insurance -- similar to most state's requirement of auto liability insurance. Obama's health care plan is now the only within the Democratic field that does include such a mandate.

Clinton's plan does not dismantle, but instead builds on existing employer-based systems. People who receive insurance through the workplace could continue without interruption. Businesses would be required to offer insurance to employees or contribute to a government-run pool that would help pay for those not covered. There is also a tax subsidy component to help small businesses afford worker coverage.

Those not covered -- or not covered adequately -- by employers, would be offered enhanced versions of either Medicare or the health insurance plan currently available to federal employees. Clinton stressed today in Des Moines that no new government bureaucracy would be created with her plan.

"Don't let them fool us again," Clinton said. "This is not government-run. There will be no new bureaucracy."

Such assurances, however, were not good enough for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani who attacked her plan as "socialized medicine." In a released statement, the Republican rival said the Clinton plan would raise taxes and create health care delays that have "plagued state healthcare patients in Canada and Britain."

The Clinton plan comes with a $110 billion per year price tag. According to Clinton aids, it would be paid for, in part, by ending some of the Bush-era tax cuts for people making more than $250,000 a year.

The presidential campaign staff of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is minus a deputy state director and caucus manager today.

Angelique Pirozzi, who had previously worked Iowa for Al Gore and John Kerry, has left the Clinton staff. Chris Cillizza reports that he contacted campaign spokesperson Mo Elleithee, but was not told the nature of the departure.

Pirozzi was announced as part of the staff on Feb. 15. She had worked on the Clinton/Gore campaign in New Hampshire in 1996 and served as deputy caucus director for Iowans for Gore. During the fall of 2000, she was tapped to direct the Democrats' coordinated campaign in Wisconsin. She worked first as Sen. John Kerry's caucus manager in Iowa and then as Get-Out-The-Vote director.

This is the first major staff change for the Clinton campaign in Iowa since early June when Iowa Campaign Director JoDee Winterhof left her position to serve as a surrogate and longtime Tom Vilsack supporter Teresa Vilmain was brought in to run the show.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd has gained his first endorsement in the Iowa Senate. Jeff Danielson, a firefighter in Cedar Falls and Navy veteran, serves as Iowa Senate president pro-tempore. In addition to his endorsement, he will serve as co-chair of Dodd's Iowa steering committee and as a member of the national steering committee.

"When it comes to protecting this country and strengthening our communities, proven leadership and experience matter," said Danielson. "I am supporting Chris Dodd, because he is the candidate I trust to keep America safe and keep our middle class families strong. Time and time again, Chris Dodd has shown not only that he has thoughtful, bold ideas, but that he has the ability to pull people together to get them done.

"With the stakes so high for our country in this election, Chris Dodd is the proven leader we need in the White House and the proven winner we need as our Democratic nominee. I am proud to be endorsing Chris Dodd, and I'm ready to go to work across this state on behalf of his campaign."

Danielson, 37, has represented Iowa Senate District 10 since 2004. His election to the Senate leadership by his peers last year made him the youngest President Pro-Tem in Iowa history.

Danielson's endorsement comes just weeks after the International Association of Fire Fighters announced their support and endorsement of Dodd for president. The fire fighters in Iowa quickly followed suit.

"Jeff Danielson is one of the most respected leaders in the Iowa Senate, and I could not be prouder to have his support," said Senator Dodd. "As a Fire Fighter, a Senator, and a veteran, Jeff knows on a very personal level about the responsibility we have to protect our communities and to strengthen our families. He will be a tremendous asset to our campaign as a leader, a representative, and an adviser."

Senator Danielson is a native of Waterloo, Iowa. He served in the Navy from 1988 to 1994, including two six-month deployments in support of U.S. operations in the Middle East. After leaving the Navy, Danielson became a professional Fire Fighter in Cedar Falls. While working and raising a family, Jeff used the G.I. Bill to earn an Associate of Arts from Hawkeye Community College, and both a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Northern Iowa. Danielson and his wife, Kim, have two children.

Dodd has also been making some waves in the blogosphere in recent days for his very public remarks regarding opponents Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama in relation to their perceived back-tracking on Iraq.

"I was disappointed that Senator Obama's thoughts on Iraq today didn't include a firm, enforceable deadline for redeployment, and dismayed that neither he nor Senator Clinton will give an unequivocal answer on whether they would support a measure if it didn't have such an enforceable deadline.

"It is clear to me - especially after yesterday's testimony - that half-measures aren't going to stop this President or end our involvement in this civil war. I thought it was clear to Senators Obama and Clinton as well after they finally came around to supporting the Feingold-Reid measure and voting against a blank-check supplemental spending bill this spring. If 'enough was enough' then, why isn't it after the bloodiest summer of the war?

"Senator Obama has a gift for soaring rhetoric, but, on this critical issue, we need to know the substance of his position with specificity. Without tying a date certain to funding how does he plan to enforce his call for an immediate redeployment?

"The only specificity Senator Obama offered was a call for a new constitution, but that will do nothing other than provide the Iraqis and the Bush Administration another excuse to delay -- the ink is barely dry on the constitution they have.

"It is going to take bold leadership to change our course in Iraq. We need to do more than write letters to the President, we need to be clear with him.

"I urge Senators Obama and Clinton not to backtrack on the need for a firm, enforceable deadline and state clearly and directly whether they will support an Iraq measure if it does not include one."

The folks over at Connecticut Local Politics picked up on Dodd's statement and mixed in some of his remarks during the testimony of Gen. David Petraeus.

Dodd also chimed in with more of his own words as a guest blogger at The Huffington Post, and garnered over 200 comments for his trouble.

David Lightman, Washington bureau chief for Courant, provided a recount of the testimony in an article later that same day.

The following day, Dodd picked up more press in the form of a MyDD diary entry that praised the politician for his stance on the Cuba trade embargo.

All around it's been a solid two weeks for the Dodd campaign and, rumor has it, there are more endorsements to be announced, including at least one member of the State Central Committee.

And, on a much more personal note, happy birthday to Grace Dodd, who is celebrating her sixth birthday today. As the Irish like to say: May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, the sun shine warm upon your face, the rain fall soft upon your fields and, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand. If that's too deep for you, Gracie, just know that someone who lives relatively close to Nebraska is hoping your day is filled with the brightest of everything -- and a really great new toy or two.

The morning noise level at the Blue Strawberry in Cedar Rapids didn't seem bother Chicago attorney Judy Gold or the local women who came to discuss Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and his bid for the White House.

Gold, who served as chief of policy for Chicago Mayor Richard Daley and chairwoman of the Illinois Commission on the Status of Women, is an attorney in private practice. She came to Iowa, however, as a listening ear for the Obama campaign, which she serves officially as the chairwoman for the Women's Policy Advisory Group.

Thirteen women came to this session of the "Hear from the Heartland" listening post and spoke about everything from recent Women's Equality Day activities to the issues of health care and education to the war in Iraq. Most of those in attendance, however, seem to have women's issues -- in particular the issue of women's reproductive health -- at the front of their thoughts.

"I was the Democratic chair for Voters for Choice -- an independent pro-choice political action group," Gold said during her introduction. "Also, many years ago when I was a child, I became involved by working on women's issues by working with a group called the Women's Issues Network, a multi-issue organization in Chicago."

She went on to add that while working for Obama she has "never had to leave her feminist credentials at the door."

"I had the opportunity to work with Barack very closely on some issues like creating an earned income tax credit in Illinois and passing a state version of the violence against women act which was called the Gender Violence Act," she said. "I can say to you without any reservation that Barack is fantastic on women's issues."

The listening post was set so that Gold could hear from local caucus goers -- not all of whom at the table were Obama supporters -- and take what they said back to headquarters for use in shaping both national and campaign policy.

"I have a strong belief that women's issues aren't just the substantive issues that we think of as women's issues," Gold said. "I would like to hear from you about any issues that are of concern to you. If you are a woman, the things that concern you are women's issues."

Following that, Gold asked if there was an issue that women needed to hear Obama discuss more or present more in-depth.

"I know when my husband and I were making phone calls, my husband was asked by another man about Obama's position on abortion," said Marlene Schmidt, who is currently a retiree, but worked in accounting for years. "My husband was not able to answer that, and I am also not real clear on what Obama's position is on that."

When asked to clarify whether or not she knew Obama was in favor of abortion rights, Schmidt said she did not, probably because the issue is not a priority for her.

"He is pro-choice," said Gold. "If he were not, I wouldn't be here. So you think this is something that needs to come out more? I'm curious to hear what everyone else thinks."

Around the table, the women expressed mixed emotions on whether or not Obama should give more voice to his stance on abortion.

Retiree Sue Jergensen said the issue is "a sticky wicket" and probably not something the campaign wants to push.

Cedar Rapids attorney Gilda Boyer explained that she'd like to see the campaign not only make more statements on abortion but to offer more information on all the issues that surround women's reproductive health.

"What has happened with this administration is not just a subversion of Roe but a total subversion of reproductive health care rights for women," said Boyle. "We have incompetents in control of the Food and Drug Administration. We have blockage of emergency contraception, which is insane. We have this whole moralistic attitude toward women's health care that is not science-based. In my book, what needs to happen is a broad conversation."

The issue of abortion alone is still very polarizing, she said, but there are other aspects of reproductive health care that are not taking place.

"There has not been a big discussion on what has happened with health care for women and reproductive health issues," she said. "This is a conversation that has been taken away from us, and the language and the words have been misused."

As evidence of that fact, Gold told those in attendance that a woman currently serving in the U.S. military cannot get an abortion in a military hospital even with her own money.

"If that woman is sexually assaulted in the line of duty and becomes pregnant, she would have to go state-side with her own money to get an abortion," she said. "It is extremely important to me that we have a president who is going to stand up and say, 'not on my watch.'"

Most of the women agreed that more should be said about the complete package of reproductive health and cited their experiences during the 2006 Iowa gubernatorial race as evidence of women seeking a candidate that supports access.

"I'm not sure if I want him to bring this particular issue to the front," said Jergensen. "I know it is important, but I also want him to be elected. I think the campaign needs to ensure that it is important in the state of Iowa. I know he is very good at speaking, so I know he will know what to say and how to say it. I'm just not sure if it is politically to his advantage to emphasize this issue."

One of the oldest participants around the table, Muriel Rogers, said what buried Mike Blouin in the gubernatorial race was that women didn't feel he could be trusted to protect their rights.

"I was in the room at a Blouin event," she said. "The women sitting next to me listened to him, and once she realized he wasn't pro-choice then turned to me and said, 'Wait a minute. What am I doing here?' There were several of us who didn't quite understand Blouin's point on this issue and, once we heard it, we left. I think that was true across the state."

Obama's campaign will continue this listening tour during the coming weeks and will hear from Iowa caucus-goers in many different small groups as they being construction of additional white papers on the issues.

Well, I'd planned to live-blog the presidential forum hosted by Univision tonight at the University of Miami. It doesn't look like that's going to be entirely possible. I had expected both Spanish and English, but it looks as if this is Spanish-only. I will attempt my best, but I'm quite sure it won't be good enough for a discussion on the issues.

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson just went off about having to speak English while answering questions. He and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd are the only ones who are fluent in Spanish and I can see why he might be upset with not being able to answer for himself and having to rely on a translator. (The silver lining, I guess, is that Richardson can tell if the translator is doing a good job.)

The candidates are all answering in English, although their remarks are being over-cast by translators in Spanish. It is difficult to hear anything -- mostly just bits and pieces of the English coming through, if even that.

Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich just received several rounds of applause for his views on Iraq and ending the war now. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama all scored big on this question based on audience response.

Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards is speaking now. Big applause as he finishes up. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton also discussed the troop surge and earned big applause at finish.

Richardson just spoke about the surge in Iraq, but I honestly couldn't hear a word he said. He did earn applause at the end. Now former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel is discussing terrorism and why Osama bin Laden has not be captured. He earned applause on and off throughout. I caught bits and pieces of him speaking angrily about government agencies.

Dodd is answering the same question, or at least a close variation. The same subtitle is at the bottom of the screen: "Terrorismo." He is cut off (ran out of time?) and applause continues as the moderators move to a question for Obama, Clinton and Dodd on immigration (inmigracion).

Obama answers and is also told to stop, that his time is up. Moving on to Clinton.I wish I could tell you what she just said. The audience sure seemed to like it.

Dodd answering now -- and he also gains nice applause following his answer. Commercial/potty break.

Here, tonight, I've discovered yet one more time in my life I regret taking years of French instead of Spanish. Before the night's over, I'll probably be reduced to describing what each candidate is wearing.

The show is back and there is a beautiful stage background. The moderators, according to the title at the bottom of the screen, are continuing to ask about immigration: "Inmigracion: Trabajaria en reforma migratoria?" Kucinich is answering and receiving applause sprinkled throughout his answer -- big applause at the end.

Same question is to Richardson -- "freedom, diversity" I hear him say. He's discussing our nation's relationship with Mexico and how jobs need to be created there. If the bits I'm picking up are correct, this sounds like a portion of the stump speech he has given in Iowa. Lots of laughter and applause at the end.

Same question to Edwards. I still think he should have his eyes checked. Maybe the bright lights hurt them, but he really seems to blink a great deal. His right eye looks like its lid is sitting lower. Polite applause for Edwards when he finishes answering.

Gravel's translator is quite good -- trying to raise his emotion level to match Gravel. That's no small feat. Applause once during answering and once afterward for Gravel.

Clinton, of course, has a female translator. I can't make out even bits of what she's saying, although she has great hand gestures while talking. The gestures are very open, at one point extending her left arm up and out rather like the statue of liberty.

Same question to Dodd. He's also very animated with lots of hand gestures. His voice is going up as he discusses the money being spent in Latin America as compared to the money being spent in Iraq. The audience loves what he had to say.

The audience was quiet as Obama responded... reverent might be a better word. He received good applause following his answer.

Staying on the topic of immigration, we're back to Gravel. Suspenderia las redadas federales? Gravel is keeping his voice controlled this time and receives applause when he is complete.

Richardson has same question or a close sister. The screen bottom remains the same. Richardson is raising his voice now... speaking forcefully with direct hand gestures. He looks relaxed tonight, but more so than he has in previous debates.

New question concerning immigration for Edwards: Son necesarios trabajadores indocumentados? (Is that a question about deporting undocumented workers?) Edwards blinking is really bothersome. Even if he were speaking in English, I think I'd be transfixed by his eyes. Time's up for him in this round and he receives nice applause from the audience.

Kucinich, who has by far received the most audience response tonight, is answering now. He gets fired up at the end of his answer and gets appropriate audience response.

New question to Clinton: Como frenaria sentimientos antihispanos?

Clinton also looks really relaxed tonight. She's literally leaning with her right arm on the podium, using her left to make gestures and sometimes patting the top of the podium.

Same question to Obama and he receives nice applause at the end.

Edwards is up again and also answering the "anti-hispanic" question. He receives applause after his first sentence or two. He's now giving a portion of his Iowa stump speech and ticking off those his administration would help -- the poor, the disenfranchised. Good applause when he is done.

We are moving on to Latin America topics. First question to Richardson: "Amenaza tendencia izquierdista a EE.UU.?" I don't have even a guess on this one. Richardson mentions Chili in his answer -- that's the only piece I picked up. Polite applause when he is done.

Dodd has the same question. "We need to engage," says Dodd. This should be a topic he does really well with given his Peace Corps service in Guatamala. Big, big positive audience response when he completes.

Question to Edwards: "Considera a Chavez un dictador?" Edwards took a few moments to consider this question before he began answering. Edwards' answer includes thoughts that the United States should be a force for good in Latin America. Polite applause when he is complete.

Gravel has the same question. His translator is once again working to keep up. Gravel is a very animated speaker and his voice is escalating as he talks. Something at the end about "You don't... with your enemies."

Question to Clinton: "Que pasaria en Cuba sin Fidel Castro?" She says, "That requires us to work with the entire hemisphere." She's discussing "misguided bullying policies" and gets HUGE applause and response from the audience.

Same question to Dodd. It's very difficult to hear anything Dodd is saying in English with the translator speaking. The audience, however, is responding. "We need safety and security," he says.

Back to Kucinich with a question about education: "Que puede hacer para frenar la desercion escolar?" He receives a big audience response in the middle of his response and keeps going. "If you don't stand for education, what do you stand for?" He receives probably the biggest response of the night so far with his answer on this question.

Same question to Obama. He is hitting on early childhood education and school construction. For the first time tonight -- at least I think it was the first time -- he receives audience response during his answer. He is also given good audience response at the end.

Richardson has a new question: "Reduciria educacion bilingue la desercion escolar?" He receives a big "hoot" from the audience in the middle of his response. From the bits I can hear, I believe he is discussing initiatives used in New Mexico.

Commercial/potty break -- take two.

That was a quick break. Back with a question to Obama on the Medica (healthcare?): "Por que es tan dificil el acceso al cuidado medico." He receives a big response and continues and then receives a big response at the end.

New question to Richardson: "Como resolveria el problema en un ano?" He is talking about lowering Medicare from 65 to 55 and hammering on early prevention. He is also interrupted with audience response and receives a big response at the end too.

New question to Dodd: "Como incluiria a los indocumentados?" He's hitting his experience with the Family Medical Leave Act and receives an amazing response in the middle of his answer. A big finish for Dodd and he receives good audience response for his efforts.

Question to Clinton: "Que aprendio para tener exito?" I think she made a quick joke/witty remark at the beginning based on the audience reaction, but I'm not sure what it was. She has both hands and arms going during this response, no longer leaning on the podium, no longer smiling. Good response for her answer when she is complete.

Question to Gravel: "Como aplicaria su experiencia personal en la solucion?" I can't hear a word Gravel is saying in English, but his hands are going up and down as he makes his points. Lukewarm applause for him when he completes.

Question to Edwards: "Es necesario aumentar impuestos?" He said one sentence and was given a good audience response. He is discussing universal healthcare and seems to be hitting on drug companies. "We need to do this to bring about the change we need for universal healthcare." Nice audience response at the end for him.

Question to Kucinich: "Por que nadie lo puede arreglar?" For what it is worth, Kucinich and Gravel are the only candidates to be wearing red tonight. All others, including Clinton, are decked out in blue. He says "We need to challenge the insurance companies." He gets a big response at the end and the moderators need to remind him his time is up.

A question on the economy (economia) for Clinton: "Como evitaria que propietarios pierdan sus casas?" I know Clinton mentioned Chris Dodd in her answer... that came through loud and clear. Not sure if she is agreeing with him or attacking him. Audience responds with polite applause when she is done.

Same question to Obama. The camera keeps pulling back while Obama is talking to include both Obama and Clinton in the same shot. No clue what Obama said, but he receives polite applause when he is done.

Question to Richardson: "Caul es la mayor contribucion hispana?" Richardson begins by saying he believes Latinos are the heart of America. Good question for him because he can continue to include himself in his answer... "we are this... we are that..." It allows him to make a major connection to the audience that others are not afforded. He's now being cut off and the question goes to Dodd.

Dodd is discussing the American dream and how it applies to all people. "It should not be denied to anyone." Loud applause for Dodd.

Same question to Gravel who is answering slow and deliberate, with lots of hand gestures for good measure. Now his voice is beginning to rise again. Good applause for Gravel when he is done.

Same question to Edwards who is discussing "richness, depth and diversity." Just my guess here, but I bet he's mentioning his father the mill worker during this answer. Applause for Edwards when he complete.

Same question to Kucinich. This is about all people everywhere, he says. He adds that we need to unlock the power of the human heart. Loud applause for him once he completes.

Same question to Obama. I believe Obama is drawing together how all families are the same -- no matter their color they "are waving American flags." Nice applause for him once he finishes.

Same question to Clinton. I believe she will be the last to answer this question. She also appears to be drawing the similarities between all the people in America -- their values, their wish to provide for families, etc. Really huge response for Clinton once she finishes.

The two moderators are center screen and I'm thinking this might be the end of the forum. It will be interesting to see if any of the talking heads pick up on anything done during this forum tonight or if it will simply be ignored because of the language differences.

Since I cannot tell you who did the best on the issues, I will tell you that I think Kucinich and Dodd did the best based on audience response. Two others high in the rankings are Richardson and Clinton. The audience seemed almost cold to Obama and Gravel. They were lukewarm to Edwards and that surprised me.

As far as I can tell, no candidate made any serious gaffes... at least there was no outward booing from the audience. I'm not sure how the Latino community in Iowa and elsewhere will react to Delaware Sen. Jo Biden not participating in this forum.

Assistant House Majority Leader John Whitaker, D-Hillsboro, announced his support of Delaware Sen. Joe Biden. All the goodies on this endorsement were written up by T.M. Lindsey at Iowa Independent. It's a good endorsement for Biden both on the Iowa and the military fronts since Whitaker's son is currently serving in Iraq.

Dean Barker of Blue Hampshire has formally endorsed Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd. While this probably won't get a whole lot of play here in Iowa, it's an important endorsement for Dodd in the Granite State.

While polls in Iowa and the nation don't show their chosen candidates as front-runners, former Minnesota Congressman Rick Nolan and Iowa Rep. Mike Reasoner say the American people should stop and remember history.

"Of course there is some concern there," said Nolan, who has been traveling Iowa as a surrogate for Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd. "But, having said that, this time four years ago Joe Lieberman was the leading Democratic candidate here in Iowa, and shortly after that Dick Gephardt was the leading candidate and then Howard Dean was the leading candidate. The same has been true for other Democratic candidates -- Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, John Kennedy. Dodd is now right about where all of those winners were."

Reasoner, D-Creston, has been stumping on behalf of Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and also believes the lessons of four years ago are important.

"I believe, if you look back, Howard Dean was the odds-on favorite as the Democratic Party's nominee," he said. "John Kerry was not necessarily the person to beat. Likewise, John Edwards was not a front-runner. They were both back in the pack, but then they emerged in the late fall before the caucuses four years ago. That's exactly what I think you're going to see Senator Biden do, too."

Confidence, said the surrogates, comes from knowing Iowa will lead the nomination process.

"As we -- people around Iowa -- take our time and get to know our candidates, I think you'll see that instead of having the candidates as a group, individuals will begin to stand out," Reasoner said. "It won't be because they are on television or because of their star name, but because of what they have to say."

Rock stars and their tendency to fade was also on Nolan's mind.

"Iowa has a way of teaching everybody some hard lessons," Nolan said. "We have a great staff and some incredible volunteers here in Iowa. It seems to me after going around the state that Chris Dodd is on everyone's short list although not on as many people's first-choice list as I'd like to see. Many of the people who have chosen one of the big three -- or rock stars -- are very loosely committed to them."

An August poll conducted by AARP supports Nolan's assertion. A total of 5,000 AARP members were surveyed, and two-thirds were found likely to change their candidate preference as more is learned about other candidates' positions. Among Democratic participants in Iowa, more than seven in 10 say they are very (31 percent) or somewhat (46 percent) likely to change their candidate preference as they learn more about the issues between now and the caucus.

When poll participants were asked to rate candidates on how well they have addressed the issue of ensuring all Americans can build financial security for their entire lifetimes, 61 percent said they didn't know enough about Biden's stance and 65 percent said they didn't know enough about Dodd's stance to offer a rating. Ratings in relation to candidate stance on health care met with similar results. Dodd's stance was unknown to 61 percent, and Biden's stance was unknown to 58 percent of those surveyed.

"Should any of these others falter as the frontrunners have historically tended to do here in Iowa, I think we are well placed," Nolan said. "I think we're poised to make something happen."

Iowa's expertise in retail politics is what both makes the difference and confuses the rest of the nation, says Reasoner.

"You see not only the senator but members of his family and individuals speaking on his behalf going around the state to meetings in cafes, living rooms and meeting halls," he said. "Historically Iowans don't get together in groups of 400 or 500 people. Normally, you have five, 10 or maybe 20 people at a time. That's how we've traditionally conducted our caucuses. That's how we get to know our candidates, and that's how we get to identify with them. Just because someone is on television constantly and has name recognition right away doesn't mean that person will have a great caucus night. We want to know what that person has to say. We want to know how that person stands on the issues important to America."