Presidential Hopefuls: October 2007 Archives

The presidential campaign for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has announced the endorsement of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the nation's largest public sector union.

In total, AFSCME represents more than 1.4 million workers. The union has said it has plans to activate a 40,000-member voluntary force and launch a get-out-the-vote effort in Iowa, where it represents 30,000 workers.

The union raised eyebrows early in 2004 when it withdrew its endorsement from former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean. The group, along with the Service Employees International Union, had endorsed Dean in November 2003 when he was the Democratic presidential candidate front-runner in terms of both national polls and fund raising. The endorsement was withdrawn when Dean failed to produce results in early states including Iowa and New Hampshire.

"Clinton has the leadership, ideas and strength to lead America in a new direction and her commitment to working families is unparalleled," said Danny Homan, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 president. "We face serious challenges at home and abroad, and she is the best candidate to restore middle class economic progress, support our soldiers and veterans, and improve the quality of life for all Americans.”

Gerald W. McEntee, AFSCME president, said after 10 months of polling and interviewing members and scrutinizing candidates' records, Clinton stood out from the pack.

“We had the most talented and diverse field of Presidential candidates we’ve seen in years," he said. "But when all was said and done, among our members Hillary Clinton clearly emerged as the best candidate to take back the White House for America’s working families."

Clinton has also been endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, National Association of Letter Carriers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers and the United Transportation Union.

For those interested in debate coverage, Deeth was in the driver's seat at Iowa Independent with some of us chiming in from the peanut gallery. Commentary was also to be had at the Back Roads to the White House.

There are also, of course, some solo thoughts from Yepsen at the Register.

No doubt there will be more analysis and commentary posted in the morning... well, later in the morning anyway.

My thanks to the organizers of the Biden watch party in Cedar Rapids for allowing me to sit in, use up their bandwidth and share jokes, applause and jeers.

8 a.m. Update

Commentary has been posted by Chase Martyn and T.M. Lindsey over at Iowa Independent. Iowa Liberal has a few thoughts about policy coverage in general.

In addition, iPol has the spin cycle.

10 p.m. Update

More Iowa blogs have chimed in during the day and I wanted to be sure to list them here.

Century of the Common Iowan has thoughts on the winners and losers from the debate.

Babblemur & Akaoni hand it all to John Edwards. Likewise, the folks at Iowa for Edwards were quite happy with their candidate's performance.

iPol says Joe Biden earned the best moment of the night.

Barack Obama's visit to Cedar Rapids Monday, Oct. 29, was a work in contrast as the candidate began the tour discussing his plans for Social Security and ended it on the MTV/MySpace stage, answering questions from college students.

Liz Belden, an Iowa senior who receives Social Security, was happy to start the day with a discussion of the benefits for older Americans.

"When they first started talking about privatizing Social Security, I was against it," she said. "It wasn't too long after that the stock market took a huge plunge. I knew that if a lot of people had invested their Social Security that they would have lost their money. So, I completely agree with Sen. Obama's plan to protect and secure those funds."

Likewise, Chinese international student Elaine Chen, who is not a citizen and will not be taking part in either the Iowa caucuses or the general election, said she was glad to have the opportunity to hear from the Illinois senator and learn more about the American system of government.

"I'm from a different system of government," said Chen, for whom English is a second language. "I want to know how everything here works. This has been a lot of listening -- an exercise for me. But I think it was all very good."

She added that Obama was very "talkative" and that she was happy to hear him discuss many global issues.

Securing a Future for Older Americans

Cedar Rapids retired middle school teacher Myrna Cooney provided the introduction for the Illinois Senator during the morning campaign stop at the Cedar Rapids Public Library.

"I declared for Barack before he declared he was running for president," she said. "I started talking about his authenticity. I sensed his ability to listen to people and to see the common needs that we share. Because of this, I know he will keep our interests at heart."

Obama told the audience of about 150 that he knows social security is often on their minds.

"The issue is a personal one for me," he said. "As most of you know I was raised mostly by a single mom with the help of my grandparents."

Obama said his grandparents worked hard their entire lives and they, like many in the audience, "earned a secure retirement." That secure future is now being threatened by rising costs and government mismanagement, he added.

"Here in Iowa, 95 percent of seniors rely on their monthly Social Security checks," he said. "So, we know what a difference it makes in people's lives. We also know that the system has some problems. Some argue that the problems are so severe that Social Security is fundamentally broken. This is the argument that George Bush was trying to make when he was seeking to privatize the system. That is an exaggeration. It is not true. The underlying system of Social Security is is sound."

According to Obama, the problem is a projected cash shortage that could be solved, but the situation is time-critical.

"If we do nothing, annual surpluses will end in 2017 and the trust fund will then be exhausted by around 2040," he said. "The question is how do we solve this problem. You might remember that this question came up in the last presidential debate. When Sen. [Hillary] Clinton was asked about it, she wouldn't say what she thought we should do. The other day here in Iowa she skipped another chance to answer a direct question on this issue."

Refusing to answer questions -- especially about Social Security, he said, is politics as usual. Then he took advantage of an opportunity to take a direct swipe at Clinton, the junior senator from New York and his most direct opposition in the bid for the White House.

"Conventional thinking in Washington says that Social Security is the third wheel in American politics," Obama explained. "It says that says that you should hedge or dodge or spin on this issue, but, at all costs, don't answer the question. In fact, there was some chatter on the Sunday morning news programs where it was said that it is good politics not to talk about it. But I reject that notion. I think that on issues as fundamental as how to protect Social Security, candidates for president owe it to the American people to tell us where they stand. Because I don't think you're ready to lead if you can't tell us where you're going."

Obama says his approach to Social Security is to steer away from privatization and to raise the $97,000 income cap on the tax.

Speaking to Young Voters

The roughly 250 students who gathered in the Coe College auditorium for the MTV/MySpace presidential candidate forum saw someone a little different than did senior citizens and supporters at the library. Somewhere along the mile-long route between the two locations, Obama lost his tie, although he continued to wear the same dress shirt and dark suit.

The forum -- the second in a series for the cable network and social networking internet site -- featured questions both submitted online and from students in the venue. Those listening were encouraged to answer polls throughout the event to determine how closely Obama's views matched their own.

Obama faced a wide variety of questions including same-sex marriage, foreign policy, immigration, the separation of church and state, waste exportation, net neutrality and No Child Left Behind. The one question which seemed to give the candidate the most pause, however, was what many might consider a softball.

"If you were given the opportunity to make a movie about your life or some aspect of it, what would you call it and who would you cast as yourself and your wife?" asked Tara, a reporter for the Coe College Cosmos.

Obama had not missed a beat when discussing the possibility of a Kurdish state in the Middle East. Ditto when confronted with electronic waste shipped to other countries by the United States. This question, however, left him stuttering for several beats -- and appealing to one of the co-hosts as a time-stalling measure -- before he answered and indicated that the title of his current book, The Audacity of Hope, would be his preferred movie title.

"In terms of who would play me... uhm... I suppose Denzel is already taken," he said. "Will Smith is a possibility because his ears match mine. In terms of my wife, there's nobody that good lookin' -- so, she'd have to play herself."

The question, however, that hushed journalists in the press room was asked by Jeanice Perez, a Minnesota resident who's father was deported to Mexico three years ago.

"I just want to ask a question on immigration because it is very personal to me," she said. "A few years ago my dad was deported, and I've seen first-hand how it can really destroy a family. What are your thoughts and feelings on granting amnesty to illegal immigrants who have been deported but have legal family here?"

Obama said the situation Perez outlined is one of the reasons America has to fix the current immigration system while securing the nation's border.

"We've got 12 million people who are here and we're not going to be deporting all of them," he said. "What we are doing is selectively deporting one or two or 50 or 100, but that's not a way to solve the long-term problem. So, I am a strong supporter of a pathway to legalization for the 12 million people who are already here -- most of whom are here just because they want to provide a better life for their children and their grandchildren."

Those individuals who came into the country illegally would have to pay a fine, would need to learn English and would be placed at the "back of the line" when applying for citizenship. America should be "a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants," he added.

Following the forum, Perez said that she appreciated Obama's response to her question and personal struggle.

"Even though I was a daughter of an illegal immigrant that doesn't mean that I don't support protection of our borders," she said. "It's just hard when you are in a position where you build a life here in the United States and you've paid dues."

Perez said her father had come to America as a young man and had lived here for 18 years.

"He built his life here and it was just heartbreaking because there was no warning and there were no questions asked," she said. "They just came, took him and he was thrown into a country nowhere near where his family was. He was just dumped there. It was very disheartening to see how people are treated when they don't belong."

Her father, she said, is now living in Mexico, keeps in touch with his family here and "is doing the best that he can."

"He has more faith in this country than I used to -- than I did," she said. "He loves this country. It just amazes me and I ask him, 'How can you love a country that doesn't love you?' He says this is the best country in the world."

Just one day remains before the start of the Divided We Fail presidential candidate issue forum on health and financial security in Sioux City. Due to lack of Republican candidate participation, the format of the forum has changed into more of a town hall meeting.

Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee will individually discuss the issues for a total of 35 minutes. The format will also include opening remarks, questions from moderator Dean Borg of Iowa Public Television, Sioux City Journal readers and those selected in the audience.

Unfortunately, this event will no longer be aired by PBS, but there is a live webcast for those who wish to follow along.

Until then, here are opening remarks as emailed out by the McCain campaign:

U.S. Senator John McCain will deliver remarks to an international relations forum at the Des Moines Embassy Club today, Wednesday, October 24th at 6:30 p.m. CDT in Des Moines, Iowa. Below are McCain's remarks as prepared for delivery:

It is routine for policymakers to focus on the events of the day, and nowhere is this truer than in the Middle East, where we confront immediate crises and challenges. It is imperative, however, that U.S. foreign policy not merely lurch from crisis to crisis, but rather approaches events in the Middle East in strategic fashion, with not only our short term objectives in mind, but our medium and long terms ones as well. It is this strategic approach to the Middle East that I would like to discuss today.

The old Middle Eastern order is gone. The "strategic stability" many Americans thought existed throughout the 1990s was exposed as a myth in the attacks of September 11, 2001. We learned then that our notions of regional power balances, of bonds of friendship among governments that engender peace and stability were necessary, but by no means sufficient. We found that American national security depends critically not only on the assiduous management of regional power, but also on the state of domestic affairs in the countries of the region, including those we consider friends.

Today we face a Middle East that remains fraught with challenges. The defeat of the Taliban and Saddam Hussein regimes, and Iran's play for regional domination on the back of high world oil prices and a covert nuclear weapons program, creates new power equations in the region. Some of these trends pose a long-term danger to our vital interests, as our allies and our adversaries perceive a weakening of our will in the face of uncertainty about our commitment to victory in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Make no mistake; we have core interests in the Middle East that must be protected. Middle East energy continues to fuel our economy and our allies', and we remain extremely vulnerable to oil supply shocks. The emergence of terrorist groups and the spread of violent radical ideology in the region and beyond threaten Americans abroad and at home. Shipping lanes vital to global commerce cross the region and we hold the security of our chief regional allies as critical to American global engagement.

The debate over America's future engagement in Iraq and elsewhere seems increasingly disconnected from larger regional trends. Democrats call for a rapid withdrawal of American forces with no consideration for how this would impact America's position in Afghanistan, our ability to manage the dangerous challenge from Iran, the stability of the Gulf, and sentiment on the Arab street. We need a new strategic framework in which to think about a region that has drawn us into three major wars in one generation, that produced many of the terrorists now waging a global war against America, and that has seen, in the past year alone, conflict in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine and Syria.

Recent military successes in Iraq have created new opportunities for a broader strategy that would anchor Iraq in a stable region that is at peace, a region in which Iran's adventurism is firmly contained, and a region in which economic growth and political liberalization can break up the stagnant nature of many Middle East systems. The first goal must be to create a new regional balance of power to address the rise of Iran's revolutionary, hegemonic challenge. Elements of this new balance should be:

• an Iraq that can rule itself, defend itself, enjoy peaceful relations with its neighbors, and represent all its citizens;
• constructive new leadership by our allies in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan to stabilize Iraq and invest in its future as a functioning, unified state;
• the isolation of Iran, using all the instruments of our and our allies' national power;
• intensified pressure on Syria to decouple it from Tehran and Hezbollah and compel it to make a strategic choice for a new relationship with the Arab states and Israel;
• an Israel that is secure and enjoys peaceful relations with the Palestinians and with all its neighbors;
• the success of Turkey as a vibrant Muslim democracy, a continuing friend and treaty ally of the United States;
• the consolidation of state control and reconstruction in Afghanistan, making it an oasis of stability rather than a magnet for foreign intervention and terrorism;
• a greater role for our democratic friends in Europe and India who share our concerns about jihadist terrorism, state failure, weapons proliferation, and the danger a nuclear Iran poses to our shared interests in the region;
• a new economic and political framework for a dynamic Mediterranean community tying North African economies to the West;
• the launch of a Middle East free trade area to tie all countries that do not sponsor terrorism and who are not involved in nuclear proliferation into greater webs of trade and finance with each other and the global economy, laying the foundation for a prosperous future that encourages reform, innovation, and opportunity rather than the despair on which terrorists prey; and
• a continuing dialogue with key partners in the region about the benefits of political liberalization.

A failed Iraqi state would create a vacuum at the heart of the Middle East that serves as a breeding ground for terror, exports instability to its neighbors, draws them into its internal conflicts, intensifies Sunni-Shiite rivalry across the region, and enables the expansion of Iran's influence. By contrast, if, a decade from now, Iraq has a representative government that controls all its territory, has reconstituted its potentially dynamic economy, and has emerged as a constructive regional leader, that Iraq would balance Iranian power and influence neighbors in the direction of liberal reform. That Iraq could prove a more attractive partner to Syria than Iran, decoupling those countries from each other and the dangerous game they are playing in Lebanon and beyond. It would also be an important partner with Turkey as Muslim democracy. Combined with a prosperous North Africa in the west, a progressive Turkey in the north, and the stabilization of Afghanistan in the east, a stable, cohesive Iraq at the center of the Middle East would help that region chart a path of reform and moderation.

Obviously, this future will not be easy to achieve. But it should be our goal. Getting there requires many steps, including a major effort to involve Iraq's constructive neighbors to invest in its success. Today, our allies the Saudis sponsor Sunni insurgents in Iraq in what they view as a proxy struggle against Iranian-backed Shiite militants for control of the country. In so doing, they are hedging against the possibility of our failure in Iraq, rather than contributing to our success. We must demand much more from them in our common goal to contain Iranian influence in Iraq and stabilize it as a unified state. Egypt, a leader in the Arab world, has been missing in action in shaping the course of the new Iraq. I understand that these regimes have concerns about the implications of a Shiite-governed democracy in their midst. But they should understand that the prospect of a failed Iraqi state that exports terrorism, acts as a proxy for Iran, or simply inflames intra-Muslim sectarianism and radicalism, poses a direct threat to their internal security and, indeed, possibly even their survival.

The rise of Iranian power, and America's renewed commitment to a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, give us more in common with our Arab allies. These shared interests provide the foundation for concerted action throughout the region. With Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the Gulf states, our diplomacy must forge a coalition that links the future of a cohesive, strong Iraq to a broader strategy to prevent the extension of an Iranian sphere of influence into the heart of the Arab world. Such a coalition requires a new American military commitment to the region, in the form of security assurances to our allies, possibly including deterrent commitments to defend them against a nuclear Iran, and in the supply of defense materiel and technologies. Such a coalition may also require intensified American economic assistance to our allies in ways that encourage reform and economic integration with each other and the West. As we work to stabilize Iraq and isolate Iran by strengthening friendly states along its periphery, knitting together our allies in new webs of military and economic cooperation is essential to containing Iranian influence and building the prosperous future that is the surest source of enduring security in the region.

Syria sponsors Baathist insurgents in Iraq, supports extremists in the Palestinian territories, is a conduit for manpower and materiel flowing to Hezbollah in Lebanon, and has been implicated in the assassination of leading political figures in Beirut in an effort to thwart Lebanon's democratic future. Syria's national interests seem to run counter to such policies, as breaking out of Tehran's embrace and enjoying peaceful relations with Israel and its Arab neighbors is a far surer path to security. With our Arab allies, we must change Syria's calculus in ways that lead it to judge its regional interests differently than it has in recent years. We can do so not through unilateral concessions or unconditional negotiation which minimize our influence but rather by presenting a new package of carrots and sticks. Working with our European allies, this would involve substantial pressures on Damascus should it continue down its present course, including closing down its access to the international banking network, and but also leave open the prospect of closer economic and political ties should Syria pursue a path of reform, make peace with Israel, and end all support for terror. If Syria's leadership faces no costs for its destructive policies, it will not change course. Making clear that Syria has great incentives to join the region's constructive partners, but will face greater isolation should it continue its current policies, will aid our efforts to contain Iranian influence, check Hezbollah terror, enhance Israel's security, and stabilize Iraq.

There can be no secure future for the region without a secure Israel living in peace with neighbors that recognize its right to exist. U.S. policy must ensure that Israel retains its qualitative military edge within a fluctuating regional balance of power characterized by potential nuclear threats from Iran and Syria and their sponsorship of terrorism against Israeli civilians. History shows it is Israeli weakness, not Israeli power, which destabilizes the region by tempting its neighbors to maneuver against it. Only a strong Israel can have the confidence to strike a permanent peace with the Palestinians, a peace I will seek as President. But such a peace can only come when Palestinians abandon terror as an instrument of policy and show a capacity for self-government. Palestinian leaders must be willing and able to make real compromises instead of using maximalist positions to preserve power. The international community must do more than support the status quo, and truly work to build a responsible Palestinian political order.

Turkey is one of America's most important allies: it is a thriving and progressive Muslim democracy that provides a model for other states struggling with reform and modernization. It is a critical member of NATO that has anchored the stability of Europe's southern flank for six decades. It is a front-line state on Europe's border with the Middle East, giving Turkey today a role akin to West Germany during the Cold War, and it shares a border with Iraq, making it key to stability there. As a maturing democracy, however, Washington will have to get use to voices in Ankara that do not always agree with us. Turkey will no longer be a predictable "yes, sir" partner to the United States. But if we work hard at our relationship, Turkey can become an indispensable cornerstone to a new Middle East.

I was disappointed that many in Congress were ready to legislate a historical judgment of the Armenian genocide whatever the cost to our relations with Turkey. Soon after failing to defund the war in Iraq, they could gravely imperil the pivotal role Turkey plays in supplying American forces in Iraq. Turkey is essential to stabilizing Iraq, containing Iranian power, and encouraging economic and political reform in the Arab world. We should be strengthening our partnership, not erecting new barriers to it. Ankara has an equal responsibility to the judgment of history with respect to the events of 1915 and to the project for a new Iraq today. A unilateral, large-scale Turkish military intervention would destabilize northern Iraq and spur the fragmentation Turkey wishes to avoid. At the same time, we must work seriously to rein in PKK terrorism that is a legitimate concern of Turkey.

I would hope that all who remember 9/11 understand that failure in Afghanistan is not an option. The world must stay engaged there as long as it takes to ensure that it does not revert to a Taliban-run terrorist safe haven. Iran is projecting influence in both Afghanistan and Iraq in ways that challenge friendly governments in those countries. Jihadists everywhere draw inspiration from the Taliban's survival. American credibility, the containment of Iran, and our hope for lasting regional peace demand the Taliban's permanent defeat. NATO's future is at stake in Afghanistan, as is the security of the 80 percent of Afghans who voted for a democratic future.

Our military recommitment to Afghanistan must begin with greater troop contributions by NATO members and an end to the limitations that hinder their combat operations. We should intensify our training of the Afghan national army, including inviting Afghanistan to join NATO's Partnership for Peace to institutionalize our train and equip programs. We must expand our police training programs, provide greater resources for judicial reforms, and work with our partners to boost reconstruction. The international community should set benchmarks for Afghan governance and hold the government to them. We must also strike a new deal with Pakistan that ends the sanctuaries for Taliban and al Qaeda fighters on Pakistani territory. We will not succeed in Afghanistan if our enemies enjoy safe havens, where they will also threaten Pakistan's own ability to ward off an internal Islamist challenge as well as its neighbor's.

A new Middle East must encompass reform-minded North African states whose proximity to Europe provides a pathway for rapid economic progress and integration with the West. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and a Libya truly committed to political reform and an end to terrorism could form the southern tier of a new, energetic Mediterranean community that could also tie Israel, Lebanon, and perhaps Egypt into common markets and institutions with Europe. NATO could forge or expand new security ties with these countries. A Mediterranean economic and political community could help put North African and Levant nations on a fast-track to closer engagement with the West in ways that stabilize the broader region and provide a model for their neighbors. Europe is worried about the problems posed by immigration from this region; the best solution is creating new opportunities within those countries in education and economics. People do not emigrate when they see a bright future for themselves at home. While there have been the beginnings of efforts from NATO, the G8 and the EU, I believe we need to go further with a far greater sense of urgency.

Ultimately, what we may need in the Middle East is a security structure, perhaps an institutionalized forum at which security issues can be addressed and rules of behavior hammered out. One model to look at might be the ASEAN association of Southeast Asian countries. Over time, such a forum might engage in arms control, develop norms for regional behavior, and exchange information on borders and transnational security threats. Lessening regional insecurities is a critical first step in preventing a domino effect of the spread of nuclear weapons technology generated by Iran's own program. Given the deep political fissures in the Middle East, we should not hope for too much too fast from such a structure. Yet some basic security architecture could help stabilize a region still reeling from past conflicts.

New roles for the EU and NATO in the Mediterranean highlight the importance of increasing our allies' stake in securing a new Middle East. This is particularly true of our friends in Europe and India who share our interests in defeating global terrorism, ensuring security of energy supply, containing Iranian influence, and shaping a new future for a dangerous region on their own doorsteps. We especially welcome France's new leadership in the region under President Sarkozy, as well as Tony Blair's leadership on Palestinian institution-building. Beijing also has a critical stake in Middle Eastern energy supplies, which are vital to its continued rapid economic growth. As China matures as a world power, we will expect it to play a role consonant with its responsibilities. These must include delivering Khartoum on a lasting peace in Darfur, reducing arms exports to rogue regimes, and pressuring, not protecting, Tehran from international demands to end its nuclear weapons program.

With our allies, America should lead in the creation of a Middle East free trade area tying the region's economies to each other, to the West, and to the dynamic economies of Asia. As we have seen in Lebanon, the expansion of a middle class, nurtured by growing economies, will inevitably create pressures for political reform within autocratic states. It is past time for all people in the region to enjoy the fruits of economic modernity that have transformed Asia, for instance, beyond recognition.

If the United States does not actively promote a new balance of power in the greater Middle East that safeguards our interests and values, others -- including Tehran, Iraqi insurgents, and the terrorists of Hezbollah and al Qaeda -- will fill the vacuum. The grave difficulties we have encountered in Iraq are cause for reflection, but not for retreat. Our allies and adversaries are watching closely. They see our commitment to Iraq as a test of our broader commitment to the region and its security. Tehran would like nothing more than unconditional, high-level negotiations with America on the future of Iraq and the region -- negotiations that would signal that a strong Iran, not a weakened America, is the power of the future which nations must increasingly accommodate -- at our expense. Iran is working to defeat America in Iraq. Any regional conference on Iraq's future cannot include states that want to destroy, not stabilize, the unified state of Iraq.

The future of the Middle East will be forged by America and our partners in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Afghanistan, and elsewhere -- not by tyrants in Tehran and Damascus, not by the Taliban, and not by jihadists. While we must work to build a new security and economic structure, we cannot ignore the need for our partners to begin the process of political liberalization. Change is inevitable in the Middle East and the failure to recognize it will only lead to greater problems. Prudently managed, reform in the Middle East will lead to greater, not less stability over the long run.

But, in the short run, we can and must prevail in Iraq to build a new regional order on the ashes of the old. Two generations of Americans have already fought wars in Iraq; we cannot condemn a third to the same fate by letting that country become a failed state in which we must again intervene to secure our vital interests. Anchoring Iraq in a stable, prosperous region must be the purpose of American grand strategy in the Middle East.

While he's not willing to name names, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee says his presidential campaign is picking up momentum in Iowa and that he anticipates significant endorsement announcements will be made late this week.

"We've had a big weekend -- in fact, quite a big week -- beginning with the new poll numbers that came out in Iowa last week, showing that we had virtually tied in second place," Huckabee said during a conference call Monday evening, Oct. 22. "I think that was somewhat surprising to many people, but, frankly, not so surprising to us. We have sensed a growing momentum and that was even before Sen. [Sam] Brownback dropped out of the race."

In a Rasmussen poll from mid-October, Huckabee received support from 18 percent of those polled. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney topped the list with 25 percent while Fred Thompson had 19 percent. In addition, Huckabee said his Iowa campaign is now reaping the benefits from the Senator's departure by picking up previous Brownback supporters.

"Our Iowa people tell us that many of his supporters have called and they are coming on board with us," he said. "That's a very good piece of news and we think that our numbers in Iowa will continue to climb."

The campaign is also touting the results of the Family Research Council's Values Voters Summit held in Washington D.C. over the weekend. Although former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the straw poll with 1,585 of the total 5,576 votes cast, Huckabee, who spoke last and gave a speech the Associated Press described as a "fiery sermon," earned a close second place finish. When the poll results were separated into groups who voted online and those who attended the summit, Huckabee won support of more than 50 percent of those at the event. Romney, in contrast, pulled only 10 percent of the summit attendees.

"In the overall, [Romney] slightly edged us with 30 votes, but that was with two weeks of email and mail ballots that could be encouraged in," Huckabee said. "For us, the significance was that the people who actually made the effort to get to Washington, bought hotel rooms and airplane tickets and sat through speeches -- we had more votes than all of the other candidates put together and a five-to-one margin over the nearest vote getter. That was extremely gratifying."

For those who watched Huckabee's performance in Iowa during the state party's straw poll fund raiser, the results of summit participants isn't necessarily surprising. Unfortunately for the Huckabee campaign, however, success in straw polls has not yet translated into donations or significant endorsements. (He took in roughly $1 million during third quarter fundraising and while that figure is the most he's raised thus far in the race, it fell well behind the $5 million raised by Congressman Ron Paul, whom many consider to be much less viable.) The tide may be turning in Huckabee's favor.

"All along people have said 'You have to have this much money to be competitive' and they've been quite wrong about it," Huckabee said. "Every figure that has been thrown out there we have not met, but we are gaining ground. We've stayed on our feet. I think I'm the only campaign that has never had a retreat and has never had poll numbers that were better in the past than they are now."

Huckabee said that because of recent good news, his campaign is now seeing the type of results in a week that would have previously been expected in a three- or four-week time frame.

"We're at several hundred thousand dollars just from these last few days," he said. "I have no idea what today is bringing in, but it has been pretty phenomenal."

There was one more piece of good news that Huckabee said speaks directly to campaign momentum: An announcement by Chuck Norris -- or "Walker, Texas Ranger" for TV Land viewers. The martial arts star, a long-time evangelical, writes a weekly column for WorldNetDaily. His entire Sunday article was spent on an endorsement of Huckabee, whom he described as "the only one who has all of the characteristics to lead America forward." The attention did not go without notice.

"One of the things that's getting lots of attention and that we're real happy about is the endorsement of Chuck Norris," Huckabee said. "That just happened -- it was something that came out of the clear blue. I've not had a chance to visit with him or talk with him. I heard about it and checked out the comments he made -- it was very gratifying."

Huckabee said that there is "no truth to the rumor -- yet anyway" -- that if he is elected president, Norris will be appointed head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"Who knows? Crazier things have happened," he said.

If you count yesterday's visit from former Ambassador Tom Dodd, the Political Science Club at Coe College has had representatives from four presidential campaigns visit their weekly meeting at Brewed Awakenings in Cedar Rapids. That's the good news. The not-so-good news for the students is that they've yet to have a Republican campaign stop by.

"We've had representatives from the campaigns of Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama also visit," said Bruce Nesmith, who teaches political science at Coe and is the faculty adviser for the club.

Nesmith says having representatives from the various presidential campaigns visit is important for these students, all of whom are highly interested in politics and foreign policy.

"For a lot of students who are interested in political activity, the next step is to become part of a campaign," Nesmith said. "What I'm really hoping for them to see is the opportunity of learning how these people -- who aren't terribly older than they are -- how they got where they are. What do they do? What types of things do you do as personnel on a campaign?"

Tom Dodd, who is currently touring Iowa on behalf of his brother, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, was a different type of visitor from what the students had previously encountered. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Uruguay from 1997 to 2001 and then as ambassador to Costa Rica until 2005. Last year he authored a third book, "Tiburcio Carias: Portrait of a Honduran Political Leader," about the longest-serving head of the Honduran government. In addition, Tom Dodd serves as adjunct professor in the school of foreign service at Georgetown University and has previously taught at the Escuela de Estudios Superiores in Mexico.

The former ambassador discussed how the life of the younger brother he refers to as "Christy" and his own have often been on parallel tracks, despite a 10-year age difference.

"He went into a life of politics and got interested in Latin America as a Peace Corps volunteer," Dodd said. "I went into academic life. But we interact a lot because of his work with the Foreign Relations Committee. I've watched him build many bridges between United States and Latin America leaders. I also watched him build bridges -- such as trade agreements -- among and between Latin American leaders."

Dodd discussed at length the differences between his experiences abroad throughout the years and how the reputation of the nation has been tarnished in recent years. He also discussed his perceptions of life in Washington, D.C. and how things have changed between the two major political parties during the current administration.

"The most telling change in Washington is that years ago, when my father was in the House and in the Senate, there would be debates on the floor and they'd be tough fights between the Democrats and the Republicans on tough issues," he said. "There were bitter disputes, but, at night, in the homes of members of the House and the Senate, you'd find Republicans and Democrats sitting together and eating spaghetti or pasta at the dining room table. Today, members of both parties barely even acknowledge each other in the elevator. Something is wrong... something is really wrong."

Dodd points to a lack of commonality between the men and women currently serving in Congress as at least a portion of the problem.

"Back in those days you had so many who had served in the military or the Peace Corps or in AmeriCorps or similar organizations," he said. "They had shared experiences. They had a foundation that they could build on and forge relationships across the aisle. That seems to be lacking in Congress now."

Nesmith, who plans to caucus but is currently undecided as to whom he will support, says he thought Ambassador Dodd was "great."

"Tom Dodd was funny," Nesmith said. "He wasn't too partisan. They told me that he was very interested in talking about his own career and I think he did that well. He was a good diplomat. I think his preference clearly showed, but it wasn't too abrasive about it."

Alex Kaminski, a junior and political science major at Coe, asked several questions of the former ambassador and said he was satisfied with the answers he received.

"His answers were very well developed," Kaminski said before heading back to campus. "They weren't really off-the-cuff and he didn't babble on for a long time about nothing just so he could be saying something. I thought it was refreshing that he said 'I don't know' to a question. That was nice."

That's fairly high praise when you consider that Kaminski is currently supporting Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Republican in the race for the White House.

"I come as a part of the group and talk to whoever is there," he explained. "I think it's important to find out what everyone's point of view is."

Sen. Sam Brownback's campaign for president has announced that there will be a press conference at 3:45 p.m. (CT) today in the senator's home state of Kansas.

As many blogs have already reported -- and I think the hat tip for being first goes to the Politico -- it is anticipated that Brownback will drop from the national race.

If he does drop from the race today, many Iowa supporters who had signed on to his campaign will once again be put on the political shelf. Some of the most prominent include Iowa Family Policy Center president and former state representative Chuck Hurley, Iowa Right to Life president and executive director Kim Lehman, Grace West Church pastor Bob Deever, Dan Logan of Scott County, Jasper County businesswoman Denise Shannon, Casey's General Store founder Don Lamberti, Dubuque County anti-abortion activist Ellen Markham, River Life Ministries pastor Francis Frangipane, Monroe First Baptist Church pastor Jack McCullough, West Des Moines Crossroads Fellowship pastor James Peterson, Des Moines County physician Dr. Jerry Yancy, Council Bluffs Heartland House pastor Jim Kohl, Pottawattamie County Republican official Jon Jacobsen, former Polk County chairman Kevin McLaughlin, Scott County anti-abortion activist Luana Stoltenberg, State Sen. Mark Zieman, Scott County anti-abortion activist Mary Ann Logan, attorney in Linn County Matt Rassmussen, Linn County anti-abortion activist Michelle Howe, Iowa Sen. Nancy Boettger, Des Moines Walnut Creek pastor Nick Bal, Marion City Councilman Nick Wagner, Des Moines Kingdom House of Prayer pastor Randy Bixby, Des Moines Calvary Apostolic Church pastor Rex Deckard, Marion Wind and Fire Ministries pastor Ric Lumbard, Marion homeschoolers Mark and Marie Scherbaum, Johnson County activist Randy Crawford, Clay County activist Tim Frank, and Ames Stonebrook Community pastor Tim Borseth.

In addition, the following members of the Brownback staff will be searching for new employment if the announcement is made today: Iowa Political Director Jay Heine, Regional Field Director Devon Gallagher, National Grassroots Director Jason Jones, Iowa Caucus Director Billy Valentine and Communications Director John Rankin.

In contrast, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has filed candidacy papers with the New Hampshire secretary of state. More than 75 supporters joined him at the agency's office. Ruth Griffin, an influential woman in New Hampshire GOP political circles, endorsed Huckabee at the filing.

Griffin served as executive councilor from 1987 to 2006 and was the first woman to serve in the house, senate and executive council. She was a two-term Republican National Committee member as well as a member of two Constitutional Conventions. She currently chairs the Portsmouth Housing Authority and is the regional director of the National Foundation for Women Legislators.

It was one of those events unique to Iowa's retail politics. Two men, each hoping to be the next person to lay claim to the nation's highest office, stood behind wooden lecterns with campaign signs taped to the front. Campaign signs were also attached to the front of the stage. Behind, a banner proclaiming the home county organization hung on the yellow stage curtain, only slightly off-center.

The audience of roughly 400 sat in not-so-comfortable wooden chairs at West High School auditorium and minded their manners so that the most information possible could be provided in a limited event time-frame. Although the entire balcony had been reserved for members of the media, the sound crew and I had the run of the joint. The lone cameraman was a student from the University of Northern Iowa who raced to this point and that point throughout the event, seeking the best shots and lighting.

More than half of those in the audience had arrived by caravan after spending one-on-one time with the candidates at receptions at downtown Waterloo businesses. If being so close to a presidential candidate was an unusual thing for members of the audience, none of them let on. Of course this could have been because more supporter meetings and dinners with the candidates were held after the forum.

Having only two candidates -- Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd -- participating in the forum was not disappointing for a Communications Workers of America member who traveled over two hours to attend.

"I think that these two candidates are the most qualified," said Laurie Soroka, a Biden supporter who drove from Des Moines. "These two are the ones who will be be able, on the first day of their administration, to lead. They won't be in training. So, I wasn't disappointed that the others weren't here."

Waterloo resident Kay Hoffman felt differently.

"I am disappointed," said Hoffman, an undecided Iowan with a history of making up her mind just before caucus night. "I had heard that [Rep. Dennis] Kucinich was going to be here tonight. And although I may never vote for Kucinich, I'd still like to hear what he has to say.

"I'm going down my list. I heard [former Sen. John] Edwards speak the last time he was here. Now I've heard Biden and Dodd. I haven't been able to get to Hillary Clinton's or Barack Obama's events yet -- but I intend to."

The lack of candidate participation in the event wasn't because the local Democrats didn't try. Invitations to the forum were sent out Feb. 23, said Black Hawk County Chairwoman Pat Sass, and follow-ups with all the Democratic candidates were made monthly. One campaign sent their final regrets at 8 p.m. the night before the event.

The candidates who did show pointed to the importance of all Iowa caucus-goers and to Black Hawk County.

"I came here because it is important," Biden said between speaking to undecideds and entering a private meeting. "Look, this is a Democratic county. These people asked us back in February to come and I think the more exchange of ideas, the more debates we have, the more people learn about us. I'm sorry the rest didn't show up. I'm glad Chris did."

"Black Hawk County Democrats are great people and this is an important community for us," Dodd said after his appearance on stage and before meeting with undecided voters. "These types of forums are tremendously important -- and you got more than 30 seconds to answer a question. That's always helpful because audiences get to hear more from you. So, I'm grateful to the Black Hawk County Democrats, the fire fighters and others that made it possible for Joe and I to be here tonight."

Although it might seem unusual to those outside of Iowa to hear opposing candidates openly praise one another, the appreciation and respect Biden and Dodd have for one another took center stage at the forum. Such accolades were welcomed by the audience.

"I came here tonight hoping to hear intelligent answers and explanations for things, which is something we haven't heard from some of the other candidates," said Soroka. "One thing I did not want to hear was them insulting one another or the other candidates."

Not surprisingly, Soroka said she wanted to hear the candidates discuss broadband internet connectivity.

"High speed internet is very important," she said. "It relates to all the issues that were discussed -- even Iraq as far as security. It relates to education, to health care, to all those things. They both touched on that."

Primarily because of a recent family health care crisis, Hoffman said she wanted to hear more about coverage for all Americans.

"I think anything we could hear from this party would be better than what we've heard the last eight years," she said. "I'm all for health insurance for everyone. Not because I don't have health insurance. I do. My husband just went through a three-year and four-month siege of pancreatic cancer. So, I know how important insurance is. I would like to see everybody have health coverage because I know we could not have gotten through without it."

Biden said he was pleased that he and Dodd were able to go more in-depth on their plans for for health care and education.

"There was a larger discussion on education because Chris and I both agree on it," he said. "There was also a larger discussion on health care. I think people got more exposure to our views."

Dodd stayed on message by stating he was happy those in attendance had opportunity to think about his and Biden's accomplishments.

"I think it is important, as people are evaluating candidacies, that they can see results," he said. "It's important to know what people have done in their lives. Who are they? What do they care about? Where have they dedicated their time and efforts? That will give you a better sense of what type of president the candidate is apt to be. I'm proud to say that the things I've engaged in over the years have changed America and made it better. I want to continue that work as president."

Ongoing disputes over the Iraq war between Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Joe Biden and Gov. Bill Richardson are commonplace on the Iowa campaign trail. Barbs of words have been launched from both sides, during public appearances as well as through official campaign press releases.

Although candidates in a primary will typically try to to keep personal attacks at a minimum for fear of such disagreements coming back to haunt them during the general election, the Iraq war is a major bone of discontent throughout the country and a cornerstone of both candidates' campaign strategy in Iowa and in the nation. It's also the primary issue for one South Carolina legislator who now stands in the middle of the Biden-Richardson conflict.

Rep. Fletcher Smith Jr. represents Greenville County in the South Carolina Legislature. He has served in the state legislature since 1997 and is an attorney, husband and father to two children. He is also a former co-chair of the Bill Richardson for President campaign in South Carolina and now one of seven Democratic legislators in the state who have pledged to support Biden for president.

"I was supporting Gov. Bill Richardson and it became clear to me as the campaign started to progress that his policy on Iraq -- or lack of policy -- was not the policy I could support," Smith said Friday night after the Black Hawk County Presidential Forum in Waterloo. "I thought troops couldn't be brought out of Iraq in a six-month period of time and I don't think it is appropriate to leave our equipment there. I don't think it is appropriate to leave those people unprotected in the Green Zone. We are also placing our military in harm's way when we evacuate in a Vietnam-style way."

As his discontent grew, Smith began researching other candidates' plans for Iraq.

"Sen. Biden just fortuitously had a plan that was supported by both Democrats and Republicans in the United States Senate that federalized Iraq and separated the parties," he said. "The plan has a weak central government that can dampen down the civil war, protect our vital interests in the area and keep our commitment to the Iraqis. So, I changed."

Once Smith decided he was leaving Richardson's team, he had some calls to make.

"I first had to talk with the people I was working with," he said. "I tried to contact the governor for several weeks and his staff, for some reason, insulated him from my calls. Finally, when I told one of his operatives that I was changing anyway, I got a call from the governor. We talked about it. I told him I was leaving and that I was going to endorse Sen. Biden because I thought that he had a real plan that could work and that he reached across party lines. That's why I'm with Joe Biden today."

Smith, an African-American, said he had no qualms supporting Biden despite the media hype the candidate created the day he announced his White House run.

"I hope I'm articulate and clean," said Smith before letting go an easy laugh. "And, I think Sen. Biden is articulate and clean. That was not a slur on the basis of race at all. As a matter of fact, the NAACP president has said the same thing about black candidates. I think we want candidates who are articulate, clean and moral. We could use a new president of the United States who's articulate and clean."

While Smith switched candidates based on his primary issue of the Iraq war, he says that he believes Biden is the best person to lead the nation on domestic issues.

"Joe Biden was for civil rights when being for civil rights wasn't cool in this country," he said. "I wouldn't be a black state representative if he hadn't voted for the extension of the Voting Rights Act to make sure that we had diversity in our society. Also, I like his policy in regard to health care because he's going to bring universal health care to our nation's citizens -- especially those who are most vulnerable like our young people and our senior citizens. This is a man who understands, who grew up humbly. He understands what it means to be humble in society and that you must lift people up and not tear people down. That's why he ought to be president of the United States."

Despite attempts to veer the interview toward discussions of how the campaign is shaping up in South Carolina and strategical differences between what's happening on the ground there and here in Iowa, Smith would not be moved from his role as advocate.

"Things are going very well [in South Carolina]," he said. "I think Sen. Biden is going to reverberate and resonate very well in our state. He's had a good relationship with the United States senators in our state. Sen. Fritz Hollings was a good friend of his who fought against poverty in our state. I expect Sen. Biden to win South Carolina. We are going to do everything we can to win South Carolina for him and he's going to do very well there.

"In this time of our nation's history, we need the man with the experience, the courage and the determination who has sound and sober and sensible policies such as Joe Biden to lead our country in the 21st century," he said. "We can't afford on-the-job training. This man will be president on day one, after he takes the oath of office. We can all be proud of the fact that we have an American like Joe Biden running for the presidency of the United States."

Smith spent the past weekend campaigning in Iowa on behalf of Biden. In addition to the Black Hawk County event, he also attended the seventh annual Sisters on Target Leadership Banquet in Des Moines. Although future trips into Iowa have not yet been scheduled, campaign staff anticipates he will visit again before caucus night.

The Richardson campaign has announced a new co-chairman of its South Carolina efforts. State Rep. Ken Kennedy, D-Williamsburg, who has served in the legislature since 1991 has joined with former congressman Butler Derrick to endorse Richardson. Kennedy cites Richardson's plan for Iraq as one of his key reasons for joining the campaign.

"Bill Richardson is the only major candidate who understands that we cannot leave our troops in harm's way in Iraq any longer," Kennedy said. "As a sitting governor and world-renowned diplomat, I know that Bill Richardson has the experience to get our country back on track. I am proud to join the Richardson team and look forward to increasing support for Governor Richardson around South Carolina."

There is no word yet if Kennedy or Derrick will be used as surrogates for the campaign in Iowa.

This is my final video clip from the Black Hawk County Democratic Presidential Forum held on Friday night in Waterloo. In the clip below, Sen. Joe Biden and Sen. Chris Dodd discuss global warming and the environment.

There are five additional clips currently on the site -- one with the candidates discussing their plans for Iraq, another discussing health care, a third where they discuss economic security, a fourth with a discussion of Medicare reimbursement, and the fifth clip that has a discussion of minority disparities.

A fifth video clip from the Black Hawk County Democratic Presidential Forum held on Friday night in Waterloo. In the clip below, Sen. Joe Biden and Sen. Chris Dodd discuss minority disparities.

There are four additional clips currently on the site -- one with the candidates discussing their plans for Iraq, another discussing health care, a third where they discuss economic security, and a fourth with a discussion of Medicare reimbursement.

A fourth video clip from the Black Hawk County Democratic Presidential Forum held on Friday night in Waterloo. In the clip below, Sen. Joe Biden and Sen. Chris Dodd discuss the issue of Medicare Reimbursement -- an issue of special significance in Iowa.

There are three additional clips currently on the site -- one with the candidates discussing their plans for Iraq, another discussing health care, and a third where they discuss economic security.

A third video clip from the Black Hawk County Democratic Presidential Forum held on Friday night in Waterloo. In this clip, Biden and Dodd first joke about the stage being crowded and then get down to business in a discussion of economic security.

There are two additional clips currently on the site -- one with the candidates discussing their plans for Iraq and another discussing health care.

A second video from the presidential forum hosted by the Black Hawk County Democrats in Waterloo on Friday night. In this clip, Sen. Joe Biden and Sen. Chris Dodd discuss health care.

There is a previous clip in which Dodd and Biden discuss their plans for Iraq.

The Black Hawk County Democrats hosted a presidential forum last night. Although all candidates were invited, the only ones who elected to participate were Delaware Sen. Joe Biden and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd.

I apologize in advance for not zooming in on the speakers. For some reason, I thought it would be better to frame the entire stage. Dodd is on the far right, Biden in the middle and moderators on the left. Despite the limited visual quality, the audio is good and why I'm sharing it.

In this clip, the two senators discuss their plans for Iraq.

Iraq war veteran and Purple Heart recipient Iowa Rep. Ray Zirkelbach has endorsed Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd for president. He cited Dodd's clarity and leadership on working to end the war and his record for results for bringing real change to America.

“I know all too well the cost of war, and I know that this war must end,” said Zirkelbach in a prepared statement. “I've seen first-hand the disastrous effects that a lack of clarity from leadership can bring.

“Chris Dodd is the only candidate that is offering clarity and speaking with conviction on what we need to do to end this war. That's why I trust him to get the job done and that's why he's earned my endorsement.”

Zirkelbach is an Iowa National Guardsman in the First Battalion of the 133rd Infantry, which returned from nearly two years of service in Iraq in August of this year.

“I am deeply honored to have earned the support of such a fine man, public servant, and patriot as Ray Zirkelbach,” said Dodd. “Ray understands first-hand the situation on the ground in Iraq, and he agrees with me that there is no military solution to this conflict.

“It will take clarity and leadership to end this war – not half-measures or hedging statements. Ray can trust me to lead, get results, and get the job done.”

Zirkelbach represents House District 31, covering Jones County and portions of Dubuque County. Born in Manchester and raised in Scotch Grove, Zirkelbach now lives in Monticello with his wife Emily and their young daughter, who was born while Zirkelbach was serving in Iraq.

Dodd has now garnered three endorsements from members of the Iowa legislature -- Zirkelbach, Sen. Tom Hancock and Sen. Pro-Tempore Jeff Danielson.

Iowa Rep. McKinley Bailey, a Iraq war veteran, today announced he will be supporting Delaware Sen. Joe Biden in the race for the White House.

"After returning from serving in Iraq, I quickly grew frustrated by my impression that leaders in both political parties did not understand the fundamental challenges to ending the war in Iraq," said Bailey. "When I first learned of Sen. Biden's plan, I realized that was the ticket - a political solution, not a military one. I am endorsing him because from day one, our next president must make decisions on the direction in Iraq and I am convinced Senator Biden has the knowledge and experience to bring our troops home without leaving a situation that requires another generation of Americans to return in a decade."

Bailey was a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and led his Tactical Signals Intelligence Intercept team on more than 100 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. At the University of Iowa where he earned a degree in international studies, Bailey founded and served as president of the university Iowa Veterans Association.

"We are excited to have McKinley join the Biden team here in Iowa," said Majority Leader McCarthy. "His work with veterans as well as his own service to our country will prove invaluable to helping Joe Biden win the Iowa caucuses."

Elected in 2006, Bailey's district includes Wright, Hamilton, and Webster counties.

Bailey has videotaped his endorsement of Biden:

Three Democratic presidential hopefuls will be picking up endorsements from Iowa legislators today and tomorrow and, if the grapevine is to be believed, there will be news from a fourth hopeful next week.

The campaign for former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards announced this morning that Sen. Daryl Beall, D-Fort Dodge, has endorsed its candidate.

“We need John Edwards in the White House,” Beall was quoted in the press release. “He will work every day to build an America we can be proud of – an America that is respected around the world and an America where hard work is valued once again. John Edwards has the right combination of proven experience, passion and vision to be a great president. He also has the ability to reach out to and attract support from independents and even cross-over Republicans to be the president of all Americans. I am proud to be a part of John Edwards’ campaign and look forward to working to make him our next president.”

Beall represents Iowa's 25th district and is the chair of the Veterans Affairs Committee and the International Relations Committee. He is vice-chair of the Local Government Committee and a member of the Economic Growth, Education and Transportation committees.

“Daryl Beall is a true Iowa leader and I am proud to have his support,” said Edwards. “Throughout his career, Daryl has worked hard to build a better life for the people of Iowa. He has been a strong advocate for those who are often forgotten by Washington – our veterans, our children and the less fortunate. His leadership and experience will be valuable assets to my Iowa campaign and I look forward to working with him to change our country.”

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden is about three hours away from what his press release dubs a "significant endorsement today in Des Moines." The event will be taking place at 2 p.m. on the steps of the Capitol. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy will be making the announcement on behalf of the candidate.

Tomorrow, news is expected from Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd and next week Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is supposed to be dropping some names. So far, Iowa legislators appear to be doing what they can to spread the love around. That being said, however, many remain unattached in the presidential dating game.

The presidential campaign for Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich believes it has complied with the requirements supplied to its campaign by the Michigan Secretary of State and is now considering its legal options in an effort to be removed from the state's Jan. 15, 2008 primary ballot.

Ken Silfven, a spokesman for the Michigan state office, said earlier this morning that the Kucinich campaign did not follow proper procedures while submitting an affidavit to remove the candidate from the ballot. Specifically, according to Silfven, Michigan law requires an affidavit be signed by the candidate and notarized.

The campaign contends that it followed the directions supplied by the Michigan agency.

In a Sept. 13 letter to the Kucinich campaign, Secretary of State Terri Land wrote, "If you do not wish to appear on Michigan's Presidential Primary ballot, you may withdraw by filing a sworn statement expressing your desire to have your name removed from the ballot. The affidavit must be on file with the Michigan Department of State's Bureau of Elections no later than 4:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) on Tuesday, October 9, 2007."

The Kucinich campaign faxed a letter, notarized by Justice of the Peace Alan Greene and signed by Campaign Manager Mike Klein. The Michigan office acknowledges this document was received with a 3:02 p.m. time-stamp.

"I am the national campaign manager for Dennis Kucinich and I am responsible for all ballot access activity for the campaign," wrote Klein. "I affirm with this notarized statement that we do not want to participate in the Michigan Democratic Primary."

Roughly 30 minutes later, the campaign faxed a second letter, this one signed by Kucinich. This letter reads, "With this communication I affirm that I wish to withdraw my name from the ballot of the Michigan Democratic Primary."

The second statement came from the Congressman himself "to attest to and corroborate the legitimacy of the sworn statement by his campaign manager -- just in case there were any questions as to whether Klein had the authority to submit a sworn statement on behalf of the candidate," said Andy Juiewicz, the campaign's national spokesman.

The Michigan Bureau of Elections has indicated that in order for Kucinich to be removed from the ballot, his campaign will need to begin litigation. Juniewicz says that is something the campaign will consider.

"We believe we have complied with the language, the intent and the spirit of the legal requirements that were supplied to our campaign in the September 13 letter," he said. "It is unfortunate that the Republican Secretary of State's office has chosen to interpret this matter differently."

Despite an announcement on the presidential campaign website for Dennis Kucinich stating that an affidavit for withdrawal had been filed with the Michigan Secretary of State's office shortly before deadline yesterday, officials in Michigan indicated that, at this time, the Ohio Congressman will remain on the Democratic primary ballot.

"Michigan law clearly outlines the procedure to be followed if a candidate wishes not to appear on the ballot," explained Ken Silfven, a spokesman for the office. "An affidavit has to be signed by the candidate and notarized. The first affidavit received by our office was signed by the Kucinich campaign manager. While the second affidavit received in our office did contain the candidate's signature, it was not notarized."

Silfven said the first affidavit was time-stamped by his office at 3:02 p.m. -- roughly an hour prior to the filing deadline.

"At that point our office contacted the campaign and explained the procedure and why the document was not acceptable," he said.

The second affidavit was time-stamped at 3:38 p.m.

Silfven added that Kucinich will appear on the state's Democratic primary ballot. The only way the candidate could be removed is through litigation, he said.

Attempts to contact the campaign both yesterday and this morning have been unsuccessful.

Four of the Democratic presidential hopefuls -- Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards -- have successfully filed affidavits with the Michigan Secretary of State. They will not appear on the state's primary ballot.

New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel took no action to have their names removed.

The controversy stems from Michigan's refusal to follow the nomination calendar set over a year ago by the Democratic National Committee. That calendar allowed four states -- Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina -- to operate outside a set window of primary and caucus activity. All other states were placed behind a start date of Feb. 5, 2008 -- a date now claimed by more than 20 states for their contests.

The Michigan legislature decided the state would move beyond the Feb. 5 start date and hold its contest on Jan. 15, 2008. Florida has also moved outside of the calendar window and was subsequently sanctioned by the DNC's rules committee for doing so. That committee has yet to meet on the topic of Michigan's move, but many expect the same sort of disciplinary actions -- a refusal to seat delegates at the National Convention -- to be taken against the Wolverine State.

All of the Democratic presidential hopefuls except for Mike Gravel signed a pledge with the four early states indicating that they would not campaign, advertise or otherwise participate in contests that violated the DNC rules. While the pledges were more of a gentleman's handshake than a binding contract, many are crying foul on Clinton and Dodd for remaining in the Michigan contest.

Text of Pledge Letter

WHEREAS, over a year ago, the Democratic National Committee established a 2008 nominating calendar;

WHEREAS, this calendar honors the racial, ethnic, economic and geographic diversity of our party and our country;

WHEREAS, the DNC also honored the traditional role of retail politics early in the nominating process, to ensure that money alone will not determine our presidential nominee;

WHEREAS, it is the desire of Presidential campaigns, the DNC, the states and the American people to bring finality, predictability and common sense to the nominating calendar.

THEREFORE, I [Candidate's Name], Democratic Candidate for President, pledge I shall not campaign or participate in any state which schedules a presidential election primary or caucus before Feb. 5, 2008, except for the states of Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina, as "campaigning" is defined by the rules and regulations of the DNC. It does not include activities specifically related to raising campaign resources such as fundraising events or the hiring of fundraising staff.

Democratic leaders in Michigan have stated that they will continue to plan their primary contest for Jan. 15, regardless of who is on the ballot. It is unclear how the latest turn of events might influence the flow of other early contests, including the Iowa caucuses.

Republican presidential hopefuls have signed no pledge to the early states and held a debate yesterday in Dearborn, Mich. Speculation is that some Democrats in Michigan -- especially Democratic-leaning independents -- might by-pass the beauty contest and instead cast votes in the state's Republican primary.

Iowan Jack Engstrom spent more than an hour listening to Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd speak and answer questions during a campaign stop in Fairfield. The undecided caucus-goer didn't have much to say during the event, but nodded in agreement as Dodd made points on Iraq, recent votes in the U.S. Senate and domestic policy.

"I haven't decided who I'm going to support," Engstrom said as he was leaving. "But I'm very impressed with Chris Dodd."

Engstrom, like most Iowans, has had an opportunity to meet most of the candidates, but he said he does not plan to make a caucus night decision until he's heard them all. The candidate he hasn't had opportunity to see in person is Delaware Sen. Joe Biden.

"This was my first time seeing Chris Dodd," he said. "Before tonight I had read one flier and it didn't impress me much when I first saw it. The flier alluded to John F. Kennedy and so-forth. Now, having seen Dodd, I can buy into that association more and in a way I couldn't by just having seen the flier. He is historically well read and, I think, he tries to live the legacy of America being a great nation."

After hearing Dodd speak, Engstrom made a point of meeting the senator one-on-one.

"I felt that his opinions were well-reasoned, based on experience and in-line with what I also believe," he said. "I went up and shook his hand and told him that I commended him on his intelligence, his passion and his commitment. What I found appealing: a combination of his opinions on many issues. It's also his character and his ability to put that into constructive action. He obviously feels deeply about these issues and I think that type of passion, intelligence, commitment and heart could bring us in a good direction and might even strike a nerve in the republic."

Fairfield resident Carole Simmons said she was happy to hear Dodd speak on foreign policy.

"I came tonight so I could ask about Iran," she said. "I haven't heard the major front-runners talking about Iran and, you know, it is easy now to say Iraq was a mistake. It looks like we're just about to make another huge, colossal, stupid mistake in Iran if the White House gets its way. I was glad to hear Dodd say that absolutely we need to be following diplomacy and not just rushing off to throw our weight around."

The vast majority of Dodd's public remarks were spent on foreign policy. Many of the questions he fielded after his speech were follow-ups to his statements on Iraq, the recent action by the U.S. Senate to declare Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization and foreign policy as a whole.

"The most important job of America's president is to keep us safe and secure," Dodd said. "[The president] should keep us less vulnerable and less isolated around the world. And I believe very strongly that over the last six years -- and especially during the last four and a half years during this conflict -- that we are less secure, less safe, more vulnerable and more isolated as a result of our continued military presence."

Dodd had strong words not only against the current administration's foreign policies, but for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards for their response during a recent debate. Dodd said he was "stunned" when the other candidates did not agree they would have combat troops out of Iraq the end of their first term as president.

"I fully expected by the time they got to me -- because normally they don't get to me [in the debates] very quickly -- that the question would already be adequately answered," he said. "I was stunned that the so-called three leading candidates for this nomination answered that they would not make that commitment. That's six or seven years from now. I will tell you this evening -- just as I said at Dartmouth -- absolutely. I hope we don't have to wait for 2009, much less 2013. I believe this tactic of our military presence is a massive mistake for this country and it ought to end."

The Dodd campaign has indicated that, barring any emergencies in the Senate, Dodd will be spending a vast majority of his time in the Hawkeye State between now and the caucuses.

I promise this will be my last post on the Michigan primary ballot situation -- at least for tonight. I just received the following statement from Mark Daley, Iowa communications director for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and wanted to add it to the conversation:

"We are committed to honoring Iowa's role in the nominating process. We will support the pledge and not campaign or spend money in states violating the DNC rules. We did not take action to remove the Senator from the ballot in Michigan."

According to the presidential campaign website of Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, he will not appear on Michigan's primary ballot.

The Kucinich for President campaign announced this afternoon that it has filed an affidavit with the Michigan Secretary of State's office officially requesting that the name of Ohio Congressman and Democratic Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich be withdrawn from the Michigan Democratic primary ballot.

The sworn statement requesting withdrawal was submitted via fax by Kucinich National Campaign Manager Mike Klein shortly before today's 4 p.m. deadline.

At the same time, the Kucinich campaign issued the following statement on behalf of the candidate, who is campaigning in Arizona today:

"We signed a public pledge recently, promising to stand with New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina, and the DNC-approved 'early window', and the action we are taking today protects New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation primary status, and Nevada's early caucus."

The statement continued: "We support the grassroots nature of the New Hampshire, small-state primary, and we support the diversity efforts that Chairman Dean and the DNC instituted last year, when they added Nevada and South Carolina to the window in January 2008. We are obviously committed to New Hampshire's historic role."

Klein, who recently moved to Dover, NH to run the national Kucinich campaign, added, "We will continue to adhere to the DNC-approved primary schedule."

If this news is confirmed by the Michigan Secretary of State's office tomorrow, then the only Democratic candidates who will appear on the Michigan ballot are New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd and former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel.

Today, the campaigns of New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd refused to follow the rules established by the Democratic National Committee regarding the Democratic presidential primary calendar, and announced that they would participate in the Michigan primary contest. Biden for President Campaign Manager Luis Navarro issued the following statement:

“Every campaign made a pledge to the four early states to support the calendar created by the DNC that placed a premium on retail politics and provided a level playing field for candidates, regardless of money or celebrity. Now that these contests are fast approaching and with the final dates of the Michigan and New Hampshire primaries still in doubt, the Dodd and Clinton campaigns have chosen to hedge their bets, thereby throwing this process into further disarray. In doing so, they have abandoned Democrats in Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina.”

Earlier today, the Biden for President Campaign announced that their candidate would not participate in the Michigan State Democratic Primary and that formal steps were being taken to remove his name from the ballot in that state. The campaigns for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards have also removed their candidates names from the ballot in Michigan.

Spokespersons for the campaigns of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd have confirmed that the candidates will appear on the Michigan Democratic primary ballot.

In a phone call just moments ago, Dodd's Iowa spokeswoman Taylor West confirmed that the campaign will remain on the ballot.

The Detroit Free Press broke the news the Clinton would remain on the ballot.

“This won’t take away from Iowa one bit,” said former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard, who is helping to run Clinton’s campaign in Michigan.

No word yet from the campaigns of Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich or former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel. The campaigns for Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Joe Biden and John Edwards have requested they be removed from the ballot. The deadline for further action is just over 30 minutes away.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd spoke at length about Iraq, Iran and U.S. foreign policy during a campaign stop last evening in Fairfield. A video clip is below and -- you know the drill by now -- I'll have a formal write-up soon.

One of the first rules of public speaking is to know your audience. On the campaign trail in Iowa no one does this more consistently or effectively than New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Clinton and her "Middle Class Express" rolled into Cedar Rapids this morning and pitched to a predominately pro-union crowd at Veterans Memorial Coliseum exactly what it wanted to hear.

"I believe the middle class is the backbone of our economy, the key to real growth, and the guarantor of the American dream," she said. "America is only as strong as our middle class. I judge the health of our economy by asking whether or not our middle class is expanding and getting ahead. This administration has failed the test. Mine will not."

Al Loukota, who served in World War II and has been affiliated with the Sheet Metal Workers for over 50 years, says he agrees with everything Clinton has to say.

"Whatever I heard today from her is on the right track," he said following Clinton's prepared remarks. "I hope for the best for all of us -- because we've got to have a lot of help. It's important for people to have a good union job."

Cedar Rapids residents Wilda Ralston and Betty Clark agreed and said they are ready to caucus for Clinton.

"I like that she says we need to get jobs back in the United States, rather than overseas," said Ralston while Clark nodded her agreement. "I also liked what she had to say about health care. There was so much of what she said today that I agree with."

Clark says that Clinton "has just got it all right."

"I didn't hear anything I disagreed with," she said. "I plan to keep volunteering for her."

When asked if they were ready for caucus night, both women excitedly answered that they were.

"I think if we would have had a woman a long time ago, we probably wouldn't be in the mess that we're in," Ralston said.

Her remarks in Cedar Rapids came one day after a Des Moines Register poll showed her taking the lead among Democratic hopefuls in Iowa. Nearly 30 percent of the 399 Iowans polled gave Clinton their support in the poll. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards received 23 percent and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama garnered 22 percent. All of the three front-runners were within the 4.9 percent margin of error.

Clinton didn't seem overly interested in the Democratic horse race. The other candidates were not a topic of discussion during her remarks. The current White House administration and former Republican-led Congress, however, were fair game.

"If anyone tells you the Republicans are the party of fiscal responsibility -- just roll your eyes," she told the audience.

Clinton also chose to quote Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central fame as a part of her attack on the administration.

"This administration doesn't make decisions based on facts," she said. "This administration makes facts based on decisions."

Clinton told the audience in Cedar Rapids that she will be rolling out more detailed plans in relation to the nation's economy in the coming days.

Nearly 300 undecided caucus-goers and supporters of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards braved unseasonably warm temperatures when they filed into Vernon Middle School's gymnasium in Marion on Saturday afternoon. Many were expecting to hear the Democratic hopeful's patent message of hope. No one, however, was expecting him to be accompanied by arguably the campaign's best and most respected surrogate speaker, Elizabeth Edwards.

Not only did Elizabeth provide the introduction of her husband -- "the love of her life for the past 30 years" -- but she gave an audience member her thoughts following a question and performed "mommy walk" duties with Elle Marie, a fussy 4-month-old.

"[Elizabeth] just came up to me and told me to sit down and listen to her husband while she walked the baby around," said excited mom Angela Barltrop. "It was pretty neat. She told me that she needed her baby fix."

Elizabeth, who raised four children of her own, looked quite comfortable as she spent several minutes walking and bouncing the baby, who nearly immediately quieted and calmed. While she walked, she often stopped and exchanged words with members of the audience.

"I don't have the opportunity to hold babies very often," she whispered as she passed. "I'm loving this."

John Edwards gave his wife a quick smile when she began walking with the infant, but otherwise didn't let the incident distract him from the point of his visit.

"Our country needs a big change across the board," he said. "The Bush years have been great for oil companies, big insurance and drug companies, and military contractors, but not for regular Americans. From universal health care to making trade deals work for American workers, as president, I will stand up to the special interests and fight for hard-working families."

This type of tough talk was something Linn County Auditor Joel Miller wanted to hear during the event.

"John Edwards has been leading the way all the way through the campaign," Miller said before Edwards arrived. "I hope to hear more of that -- see more of him taking a stand, and being the first to take a stand, on the issues."

While Miller focuses personally on a wide variety of issues including health care, the war in Iraq, the environment, and the economy, he says there really wasn't a single stance that led him to support Edwards.

"The thing that I like about John Edwards is that he is a fighter," Miller said. "He has been hitting the issue head-on. He's been speaking the truth. He's out there and doing the things that I think he needs to do as a leader -- and I think he is best leader amongst the candidates. I want to see strong leadership and I want to see someone who knows where he's going and he definitely knows where he is going."

Kay Lammers, who sits on the Marion City Council and is trying to decide between three of the presidential candidates, asked Edwards "what good it would do to bring the unions back strong if all of the jobs are in Mexico."

"I just feel that NAFTA was a mistake and we cannot lose anymore of jobs to foreign countries -- that's part of our health care problem," she said. "I thought he had a very good answer. He didn't answer me about not giving Halliburton any government contracts. But I'm talking about that type of company -- we give them everything and they pull up stakes and go to a foreign country. We have to either penalize them or force them to pay when they bring their goods back into the United States just like any other foreign company. We simply cannot afford to bleed any more jobs out of this country."

Don White wanted to know how Edwards would deal with global warming and other environmental issues.

"What he said fell right in line with what I believe," White said. "I believe we need to tie economic development to green collar jobs because that type of work has to be done in America. You can't outsource something that needs to be done here, where you generate or produce the energy. I believe -- although I don't know all the details of Edwards plan -- that we can do it with renewable energy sources. We can do it without petroleum and without coal."

Perhaps the most probing question came from a man who wanted to know what a Democratic nominee Edwards would do differently than previous Democratic nominees, when faced with similar a similar circumstance.

"If you are the Democratic nominee, and you find yourself in the position of Al Gore in 2000 or John Kerry in 2004 at the end of a very close election and there is all sorts of voting irregularities and there are suspicions of whether or not things are fair, what would you do?" asked the man. "Would you fight? If the newspapers are calling for you to concede the race, would you? Would you do what Al Gore did or would you have acted more like Kerry?"

Before Edwards began to answer the question, he motioned back to Elizabeth.

"You'll have to wait for me, then you can talk," he said while looking behind him to where Elizabeth sat. He then turned back to the audience and smiled. "Elizabeth wants to say something," he said and those in the gym laughed and clapped their approval.

"Will I fight?" Edwards asked back. "Yes. Absolutely -- with everything I've got. Not for me, but for all the people in America who need us to stand up -- for all those people who voted who deserve to have their vote counted."

Edwards added that he was not in favor of electronic voting machines and, as president, he "would want to lead an effort to get us back to paper ballots."

When Edwards finished, he passed the microphone to Elizabeth.

"The votes don't belong to Al Gore or John Kerry or John Edwards," she said. "They belong to you and it can't be our decision not to count your vote. It belongs to you and the promise was made to you that your votes would be counted. That's the first thing -- it should never have been the candidate's decision if the votes were counted.

"The second thing is this is the reason we need to nominate John. The truth of the matter is that you hear Democrats all the time say that we should win all the same states. After 2000, they said, 'and Florida.' And now they say, 'We need to win all the states and Ohio.' Why in the world would we take such a chance when we have a candidate who, in the battleground states, is by far the most electable candidate?"

Elizabeth went on to say that, when husband is the likely nominee and placed against the likely Republican nominee, he wins nearly every state. In the same situation, she said, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton wins less than half and Sen. Barack Obama wins less than a third.

"You want a cushion in the event that there are shenanigans someplace?" she asked. "This is the guy you need. What's more than that, we need to campaign everyplace. Howard Dean is right. We need a 50-state strategy. Are we going to win Utah? Not likely, but that doesn't mean we don't play there and that doesn't mean we don't fight there. You know in 2004 we didn't run a single television advertisement in the state of North Carolina and there was a North Carolinian on the ballot. Why? Because the pubahs in Washington all decided that we can't win the state of North Carolina."

An audio clip of the above exchange can be accessed below:

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards has picked up one more Iowa legislator, bringing his total endorsements out of Des Moines to eight.

Iowa Rep. Nathan Reichert made the announcement today as a part of Edwards' four-day campaign visit.

“I am proud to endorse Senator Edwards and stand with him in his campaign to transform our country,” Reichert said. “John Edwards has a vision to change America – and specific plans to make that happen. On every issue, from Iraq to health care to education, John Edwards has come out with a detailed plan to help regular, hard-working Iowans achieve the American Dream. I admire his commitment to ensuring fairness for regular people and can’t wait to help him win the Iowa caucuses.”

Reichert has represented Iowa's 80th district, an area that includes Muscatine County, since 2005. He is a member of the Agriculture, Appropriations, Commerce and Natural Resources committees.

He is joined in his endorsement of Edwards by Sen. Keith Kreiman of Davis County, Rep. Wes Whitead of Woodbury County, Rep. Andrew Wenthe of Fayetee County, Rep. Ro Foege of Linn County, Rep. Art Staed of Linn County, Rep. Geri Huser of Polk County and Rep. Kurt Swaim of Davis County.

"I am honored to have Nathan's support," Edwards said in a prepared statement. "He has been a leader in the fight to make sure every Iowan gets a great education, has quality health care, can work at a good paying job and has the opportunity to succeed. I look forward to working with Nathan in the coming months as we continue to reach out to caucus goers and work to build One America."

Democratic presidential hopeful and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards made an appearance in Marion today in the Vernon Middle School gymnasium (which explains the reverb on the audio). Elizabeth was also present at the rally, although she's not featured in this short clip where Edwards discusses health care.

As is typical, I'll have a formal write-up soon.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama outlined his plan for utilizing the National Guard responsibly, his comments coming on a visit to one of the poorest sections of Waterloo Thursday.

Introduced by a local Army reservist and speaking to an audience of roughly 300 people at the Boys and Girls Club, the Democratic presidential hopeful centered his remarks around Iowa's 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment that is headquartered in Waterloo. Although members of the Ironman Battalion have been stateside since July, while in Iraq the service men and women learned from friends and family back home that their deployment had been extended.

"It's time to use the guard and reserves responsibly," Obama said. "No more unpredictable deployments. No more extended tours. No more failures to plan, to communicate down the chain of command, or to reset the equipment that we've left in Iraq. When we've got service-members who have to find out that their tour has been extended in a phone call home, we're not keeping that trust, and we're not keeping this country safe."

The Iowans were deployed to Iraq during March and April of 2006 and given the task of convoy security. The group provided securty for more than 500 combat patrols and escorted a total of 62,000 trucks over 4 million miles in the Al Anbar province. Two members of Company C -- Sgt. 1st Class Scott Nisely, 48, of Marshalltown and Sgt. Kampha Sourivong, 20, of Iowa City -- were killed during combat near Al Asad, Iraq in September 2006.

Obama's white paper on the National Guard and Reserves calls for improved mental health services, replacement of lost or over-used equipment and enhanced services for military families. He also would elevate the chief of the National Guard to the rank of four-star general and make that person a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Instead of trying to steer the conversation around Iraq and the current state of foreign policy in America, Obama led head-on into what many believe to be one of his strongest talking points.

"In the rush to go to war in Iraq we were failed by a president who didn't tell the whole truth," Obama said. "We were also failed by the media and the Congress. Let's be clear, without that vote, there would have been no war."

From domestic needs at home to failed national security, Obama hammered out a laundry list of items, which he eventually lumped into one phrase: "the cost of war."

"The right person to end this war is the person who had the judgement to oppose it from the beginning," he said. "There is no military solution in Iraq -- there never has been. That is why from day one I'll begin removing troops from Iraq immediately."

Obama promised to begin pulling out troops at the rate of one or two regiments a month while sending humanitarian relief into the country.

"Have no confusion," he said, "I will end this war."

While the announcement of Obama's plan for guard members, reservists and their families was the focus of the event and the primary reason the campaign chose Waterloo, campaign officials said there was more reasoning behind their exact venue choice within the city.

"We've been wanting to do an event in this particular neighborhood," said Josh Earnest, Iowa communications director for the campaign. "In addition to discussing the plan for the National Guard -- which is important locally because of the headquarters being in Waterloo -- the senator also plans to take questions from the audience and reach out to this segment of the population."

At least some of the rally attendees were a bit surprised when they heard the subjects to be discussed. Obama supporter Dr. Michael Blackwell, who stresses that through his organization affiliations he continues to work for the benefit of all the Democratic campaigns, was one person who spoke candidly following the event.

"I didn't know ahead of time that he was going to focus on foreign policy and deal with the situation in Iraq," he said. "That being said, I thought it was good to hear him really focus on it and take the time so that we could hear more than just a 60-second soundbyte. He really described his assessment of the situation, what he's done in the past and what he would do if he were to be elected president."

Blackwell said that he also would have liked, especially in this particular neighborhood, to have heard Obama discuss his politics of hope.

"In the question-and-answer portion he did try to address concerns about jobs, economic development and health care," Blackwell said. "So, he did touch upon those, but not as the central part of his speech. I have looked on his website and I have heard him in more private settings talk about jobs and training and education that would hopefully lead to better employment opportunities for the poor. I know his heart is there and that he's done that type of work in Chicago. But, yes, it would have been nice to hear that today since there are people in Waterloo who need to hear that and be encouraged. There are a lot of working class, unemployed and under-employed people here."

Waterloo resident Louise Miller said the portion of the event that meant the most to her was the part on domestic policy.

"There are just so many people that do not have health care," she said while holding open the facility door so others could exit. "Senior citizens especially rely on Social Security and have limited opportunities."

She admitted to being a member of the "Obama Mamas" -- something the button pinned to her jacket already proclaimed -- and then explained why she was supporting Obama.

"When you start listening [to all the politicians], you have so many saying so many different things that you don't know what is right and what isn't," she said. "You've got to just try and weigh it and determine which way you are going to go. Obama. I like the man himself and I think he is doing the best at getting his message across. It seems to me that he is saying what the people want to hear."

In a move that this reporter has not seen at an Obama event, staff members performed a brief question-and-answer skit before the event began that could have been dubbed Iowa Caucus 101. The hard ask for support, however, came from the man himself.

"We want you to sign a supporter card," he told the audience before beginning his prepared remarks. "We're going to have the exits covered as you leave so that we can at least ask you to sign a card. Also, if you have already signed a card, we want you to be a precinct captain."

The ask, however, did not come without a promise.

"I will not be a president who shortchanges governors like Chet Culver here in Iowa who are working hard to keep their people safe," he said. "I will not be a president who sends our guard off to fight in a misguided war while telling governors and state legislators to hope that a big snowstorm won't hit next winter or that a tornado won't come through town. I will not be a president who extends tours for our guard units overseas while Americans are stranded on rooftops right here at home."

The presidential campaign for New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is launching a new television ad today in Iowa and New Hampshire that details the candidate's record on the issue of health care.

The 30-second spot, entitled "Stand By Us," describes Clinton's efforts to pass universal health care in the 1990s and her work in relation to the Children's Health Insurance Program -- an expansion of which was recently vetoed by President George W. Bush despite Republican lawmakers such as Iowa's own Sen. Chuck Grassley calling on him to approve the bipartisan measure. Although the U.S. Senate passed the measure with a veto-proof majority, the House vote was much closer.

“With the stroke of a pen, President Bush has robbed 10,500 uninsured Iowa children of the chance for a healthy start in life and the health coverage they need but can't afford," said Clinton in a prepared statement following the veto. "These children are invisible to this president, but they aren't invisible to the American people or to the overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress – and they aren't invisible to me. I was proud to help create the Children's Health Insurance Program during the Clinton Administration, which today provides health insurance for six million children.”

Although Clinton is first with a new ad, she is not the only presidential hopeful to issue a public comment following the President's action.

"At a time when we’re spending billions of dollars on a war that should never have been authorized and giving billions in tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans, today’s veto of this bipartisan plan shows a callousness of priorities that is offensive to the ideals we hold as Americans," said Illinois Sen. Barack Obama. "But George Bush doesn’t have the last word, and I will keep fighting for the Republican votes needed to override his veto.”

Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd questioned the President's priorities.

"This President's priorities are unconscionable," Dodd said. "With the resources it takes to execute just over 3 months of the Iraq War, we could fully fund the expansion of health care for needy children that Bush vetoed. Indeed, today's veto is another reminder that this war is not only adversely affecting our security but also adversely affecting our other top priorities, and it's time for Congress to do what it must do to end it."

John Edwards, although no longer a voting member of the Senate, expressed his dismay not only with the President's decision, but with the Republican presidential hopefuls who support the veto.

"Today, we have witnessed a president that has turned his back on health care for children," said Edwards. "Not surprisingly, in George Bush's administration, corporate cronies and insurance industry allies always come first, while children's health care comes last. In an America where nearly 9 million children don't have health coverage, Congress must do what is right and fight for these children and override Bush's cruel veto.

"Even more shocking is that Republican Presidential candidates, including Fred Thompson, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney are all lining up with President Bush and against health care for our children. Instead of threatening the health care of children, it's time for Bush, and Republicans like McCain, Giuliani, and Romney to start picking on someone their own size."

New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson also did not let his inability to vote in Washington prevent him from voicing his displeasure.

"The Grinch came three months early this year and stole children's health care," said Richardson. "Unfortunately, this is no fairy tale, and unless Congress overrides the President's veto, it will not have a happy ending. President Bush's veto is irresponsible. It is outrageous. It is simply immoral. Of the many shifting rationales the President has offered for vetoing this bill, one is that it will burden private insurance companies. That sums up everything we need to know about this President. Choosing between insurance companies and children should not be hard."

Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, like Dodd, drew attention to the money being used in Iraq as a part of his statement.

"With one stroke of his pen, President Bush has denied health insurance to 3.8 million kids who were due to get it under this bipartisan expansion of the Children’s Health Insurance Program," Biden said. "He’s willing to spend billions and billions of dollars in Iraq, but he’s not willing to invest in our kids’ healthcare. It is unconscionable and wrong. Every child in this country should have health insurance. The President’s veto is a tragedy for the millions who don’t."

Republican hopeful and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said the bill took the wrong approach, but refused to refer to it as bipartisan legislation.

"I agree with the President that this legislation – while well intentioned – took the wrong approach," he said. "The Democrat SCHIP expansion bill would take children out of private insurance and put them into government insurance. It was a flawed approach. The right course is to get all children and all citizens insured with private, market-based health insurance."

A close look at the websites for Republican candidates Fred Thompson, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul and Sam Brownback produced no official statement in relation to the veto.

Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president, voted against the measure in the House because he said the bipartisan plan did not go far enough.

Senior staff additions, more field organizers and new Iowa field offices have been announced by the Richardson for President campaign.

"The Richardson for President campaign in Iowa is growing stronger from top to bottom," said Jim Farrell, new deputy state director. "If Americans want to end the war in Iraq, we must get all of the troops out of Iraq -- in months, not in years. Bill Richardson is the only candidate who will do it."

Farrell previously served as Bill Bradley's Iowa communications director in 2000. He was the late U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone's communications director, worked on the Clinton 1992 and 1996 campaigns and served in the press office of former Veterans Administration Secretary Jesse Brown. Most recently he served as executive director of the Montana Democratic Party during the successful campaign of U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.

David Rogers, newly named political director, is a native Iowan and left a position as field organizer for Iowans for Sensible Priorities to join the campaign. In 2004, Rogers served as Iowa state director for Dennis Kucinich's Presidential campaign and later served as Kucinich's national advance director. He recently ran two congressional campaigns in western Iowa.

Richardson's new caucus director, Shari Fitzgerald, is a seasoned Iowa political operative who has been involved in every caucus since 1972. She was part of Dick Gephardt's 2004 and 1988 presidential campaigns, Bill Bradley's 2000 presidential campaign, President Carter's 1976 and 1980 campaigns and has served on the Democratic State Central Committee.

T.K. Anderson, newly announced deputy political director for eastern Iowa, has served as president of the Davenport NAACP for two terms and also as its political action chair. Anderson served two terms on the Davenport Civil Rights Commission, has been a candidate for the Scott County Board of Supervisors and has worked with the Tom Harkin, Tom Vilsack and Chet Culver campaigns. He is a Vietnam veteran and an experienced community and grassroots organizer.

Lauren Rose will take over as Iowa communications director. She replaces Tom Reynolds, who was promoted within the campaign to serve at a national level. Rose most recently worked for a national Democratic direct mail firm. In 2004, she worked in the South Carolina press operation of Gen. Wes Clark's presidential campaign, as well as on numerous campaigns in Texas.

Scheduling and advance will be handled by Valerie Herold. She served on the Virginia Coordinated Campaign in 2006 during Sen. Jim Webb's successful campaign and for Kerry-Edwards 2004 in Florida. Herold was a field director for Clinton-Gore 1996 in Florida, and worked for Treasury Secretaries Rubin and Summers.

The staff will join existing State Director Robert Becker, who was Bill Bradley's Polk County field director in 2000, Brad Frevert, and Phoebe Silag. Frevert serves as Iowa field director and is a native Iowan. He is also a veteran of the Tom Harkin and Tom Vilsack campaigns in 2002 and Kerry-Edwards 2004 in Iowa, and was previously the Iowa Democratic Party's field director.

Silag continues to serve as deputy Iowa communications director and is also a native Iowan. She is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law, a veteran of the Culver-Judge 2006 gubernatorial campaign and ACT in Iowa 2004.

The campaign is now operating 15 field offices in the state: Des Moines, Ames, Marshalltown, Davenport, Burlington, Ottumwa, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Dubuque, Waterloo, Mason City, Fort Dodge, Council Bluffs, Sioux City, and Storm Lake. Currently, more than 70 organizers are employed in Iowa.

Republican presidential hopeful and Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback discussed the bipartisan plan for a three-state solution in Iraq while meeting with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani today in Washington, D.C.

"In my meeting with the Iraqi president, he indicated strong support for a federal Iraq," Brownback said. "Decentralizing power in Iraq offers the best chance for Iraqis to live in peaceful, united country where they can resolve their differences. The American people want to win in Iraq and this represents a viable way forward to stability and success."

Last week Brownback and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, a Democratic presidential hopeful, played leading roles in creating a broad coalition of senators from both sides of the aisle. The final vote was 75-23 in favor of a three-state political solution for Iraq. The plan is the only Iraq-related policy the Senate has adopted this year and calls for a loosely federated central government in Iraq with three semi-autonomous states for the Kurds, Sunni and Shia.

While some may consider Brownback and Biden strange bedfellows, both lawmakers are known for their ability to hammer out compromise bills that gain bipartisan support. Brownback worked with the late Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota to author and promote The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. Although Biden's original Violence Against Women Act was passed mostly along party lines, his latest proposed enhancement -- a domestic violence volunteer attorney network to represent domestic violence victims -- has Republican Sens. Arlen Specter and Ted Stevens as co-sponsors.

The dark blue signs on the hotel wall read "Fred Thompson." The stickers peppered on suit jackets and light sweaters and the marquee outside read the same. The introduction by the local county chairman was for Fred Thompson. Despite all of this, however, today's political show in Dubuque was owned by children -- especially the former Tennessee senator's young daughter, Hayden.

Thompson entered the room with his wife, Jeri, and Hayden by his side. As he moved to the front of the crowd of roughly 100 Iowans, the young girl remained by his side even as members of the staff motioned toward a chair on the sidelines, next to her mother.

After a few introductory comments, Thompson turned to his daughter and asked, "Are you going to go sit with your Momma, or are you enjoying the limelight here?"

The answer came quickly and clearly: "I'm enjoying the limelight." And, so, she remained by his side for most of his 40 minutes of remarks.

Hayden, although the most public child in the room, was hardly the only young person in attendance -- or the only one who wanted a piece of the limelight.

To Thompson's far left sat Jennifer Maki, a teacher at Hillcrest on Campus School, and several students enrolled in her elections class. As a part of their studies each student had been assigned a Republican and a Democratic candidate to follow and had presentations from several campaign staff members.

"Fred Thompson's campaign was one we had not heard from yet," said Maki. "So when this opportunity arose for them to come and meet him in person we took advantage of it. I think meeting a candidate in person really makes a lasting impression."

Brady W., a 15-year-old student in the class, said he was looking forward to learning more about all the candidates.

"We've had different people come from the political parties and speak with us," he said. "We're really just trying to get more information and learn as much as we can about each candidate. We hope that sometime during the next few months to choose a campaign to help with."

Nancy Conlin of Dubuque sat with her 4-year-old son at the table directly behind the class and also pointed to curiosity as her primary reason for attending the event.

"We are just trying to learn as much about the candidates as we can," she said. "I want to know his stand on education and taxes. I want to know about how he plans to fund education and his views on school vouchers."

While those at the tables inside the event enjoyed a free lunch, Barbara Smeltzer stood close to the hotel lobby, directing newly arrived guests to a sign-in table.

"I'm a great believer in taking a look at all the candidates," she said. "I want to see where they stand. I don't miss a chance to go and see them when they come. I think it's something we all should do. We are lucky enough in Dubuque -- if people want to take advantage of the opportunity -- you can probably meet the future president of the United States."

Smeltzer, who admits she is leaning toward Arizona Sen. John McCain, said she was hoping to hear Thompson discuss health care, education and the war in Iraq.

"I'm very interested in what's going to happen in Iraq," she said. "I am a supporter of the surge so it will be interesting to see where he is coming from in relation to that. I want to know what he's going to do about taxes and possible tax cuts. I'm very interested in the economy and education is another priority along with health care."

Although Brady had an education question he hoped to ask Thompson, he did not end up being one of those called on during the limited time of the event. While Thompson spoke at length about immigration, health care, the economy and the military, education wasn't a primary focus of his prepared remarks. Conlin also didn't get to hear what she wanted in relation to education, but said she was pleased with what she did hear.

"He had a good message on national security," said Conlin. "That is an important issue for families. I think that's the part of his remarks that stick out to me the most."

The end of the event, however, was doubly disappointing for Maki and the students. Not only did they not have opportunity to ask their questions, but scheduling prevented them from being able to have their photograph taken with Thompson.

"I liked a lot of what he had to say," said Brady, who was assigned Sen. Joe Biden and Duncan Hunter as candidates to follow. "I hope that we will have a change for our country -- that he can provide different things for our country to make it a better place to live."

Maki said it was good to see Thompson in person because he hasn't been as available as some of the other candidates.

"I thought he was a very good speaker," she said. "I hadn't heard him in the debates or anything because he has not been participating. I liked when he talked about going back to the original principles of our country. I think that's really important in a time when our Constitution has been torn asunder by the current administration. I think it's very important not only for me, but for my students to hear that's still important to somebody."

Smeltzer said she wasn't swayed by what Thompson had to say, but was impressed.

"He is a very engaging speaker," she said. "I heard some things I expected to hear such as he is favor of building the military and he had a very nice answer on a health care question."

She doesn't think that he -- as of yet -- has managed to set himself apart from the others also seeking the White House.

"He has not set himself apart yet -- at least not for me personally," she said. "I can certainly understand why people would follow him because he is personable and he does present very well. I guess it's a case of time will tell."

Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson held a luncheon in Dubuque today. Roughly 100 people attended and Thompson began his speech while holding his daughter's hand and explaining why he was running for president.

I'm working on a formal write-up of the event, but, while you wait, here's a short clip of the beginning of Thompson's speech today.

Since at least mid-April, the presidential campaign for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has relied heavily on two things: family and technology. Today, however, the campaign is rolling out what might prove to be its secret weapon.

In a letter to supporters today, Ann Romney announced her own website. From her pet causes to her favorite recipes, the first lady hopeful is taking it all directly to not only Iowa caucus goers, but to voters throughout the nation.

"On the new site, I will provide an insider, behind-the-scenes view of the campaign," she wrote. "I hope this site will be forum to not only share ideas and information, but also to share opportunities for getting involved with the campaign."

On the site, Ann writes candidly about her battle with Multiple Sclerosis.

"When I was first diagnosed, it was probably the most difficult time for me," she said. "I was having difficulty with my physical balance, but I would soon realize I was having as much difficulty with my emotional balance. I was overwhelmed and had so many questions. I had always been an independent person, strong and able. I saw the disease as an invading pac man -- eating away at the myelin that was protecting my nerves. It was chewing me up, but I didn't know when or how it would spit me out."

She goes on to detail her treatment -- both traditional and alternative -- and to encourage others suffering from the disease to contact the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

The site also features "AnnTV" as well as family and campaign photos. Such features are hardly new to Romney supporters who have long enjoyed "MittTV" and the Five Brothers Campaign Blog. What is new -- if not downright unusual -- is that while Ann's site may run on the same server as the official MittRomney.com site, for the average web viewer it appears as a separate entity. She remains the only candidate spouse to date that has her own campaign domain name and that is directing voters -- especially female voters -- to her news, views, thoughts and events.

It could be that the Romney campaign has taken the advice of Republican pundits such as Pat Buchannan who recently said on MSNBC that he was surprised Romney didn't have Ann in the spotlight more often.

"...Mitt Romney's wife Ann is absolutely beloved in Republican circles," Buchannan told MSNBC anchor Monica Novotny. "I mean, she is really the favorite wife of any Republican. ... I don't know her, but everything I've seen of him and his family, I think this is the most extraordinary asset Mitt Romney has."

Despite the fact that Buchannan went on to add that Ann's contribution wouldn't be a disadvantage because "she's an extremely attractive lady," it is doubtful the interview passed without bleeping the Romney campaign radar. Whether you or are not a Mitt Romney supporter, there is no denying that Ann Romney plans to add much more than good looks to the 2008 presidential cycle -- and that she's going to do so with her husband's blessing.

When Edwards supporter and Cedar Rapids resident Harvey Ross was given opportunity to ask the daughter of Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards a question, he wanted to expand on something her father brought up during the most recent debate in New Hampshire.

"I've been raising two teenagers," he said when given the microphone. "Teenagers, in general, seem to spend a little less time with parents than they do at an earlier age. I have two questions. One, how much time did you feel deprived of having with your father during the time he's been in public service and how has that affected your relationship? I also want to ask you about the differences that were mentioned during the debates about you and your mother having a different opinion on the issue of gay marriage."

Cate Edwards, now 25 and a student at Harvard Law School, made quick work of the first question, explaining that she was 16 when her father first launched his bid for U.S. Senate. and that she never felt neglected or deprived because of her father's launch into a career of public service. She added that both her mother and father make the necessary sacrifices and compromises while on the campaign trail to ensure both her younger siblings -- Jack, 7, and Emma Claire, 9 -- continue to receive as much one-on-one time as they need with both parents.

"I do have a very different view of gay marriage than my dad," she said. "Children don't always agree with their parents -- it might be a little creepy if they did."

Cate went on to explain that she feels her father is very progressive on the issue of gay rights including civil unions, but that he remains unable to make the leap to gay marriage. She summed this up as a generational divide and her traveling mate, actor James Denton (pictured above with Cate), agreed.

"I think Cate is right about this," he told the audience at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. "I'm from roughly the same generation as John Edwards and also have a difficult time using the word marriage for gay couples."

After the event, Ross said he was satisfied with the answer.

"I really suspected that John Edwards has a good sense of fairness on this issue," he said. "He doesn't always give us the words that the GLBT community wants to hear, but I've seen him at least twice in debates -- not only this year, but in the debate four years ago -- and if you really listen to his answers he has a wonderful sense of fairness about how no one should be able to be discriminated against and equal justice under the law."

He added that he understands about children taking views and stances that are different from their parents.

"My daughter will be caucusing this year and she is looking at the candidates in relation to her own values and ideas," he said. "She is making up her own mind and, really, isn't that what we as parents want?"

Despite the tour through Iowa on college campuses being geared toward younger voters, many older Iowans were on hand at Coe to hear what Cate Edwards and Denton had to say.

"I was very interested to see what the younger generation of the Edwards family was like," said Bob King, a local Democratic activist and one of the older people in the audience. "I wanted to know where they were politically and personality-wise too.

King said he enjoyed the event and was leaving with a lot of respect for Cate.

"She was a very personable young lady," he said. "She answered the questions very well and is obviously someone who thinks very quickly on her feet. I admire her very much because she isn't ashamed or too proud to say 'I do not know.'"

In addition to Coe College, Cate Edwards and Denton met with Iowans on the campuses of the University of Iowa, Grinnell College and Drake University.