NYTIMES | Editorial, Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Secret Money in Iowa; An incumbent from northeastern Iowa is only one of many candidates being pummeled this year by secret money and shamefully false advertising. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/opinion/27wed1.html?emc=eta1
TERRY STEWART CHAIR, DUBUQUE COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY, Sunday, October 24, 2010
Democrats providing a dynamic contrast; Across America, people are crying out for honest, genuine and dynamic leadership, and our Democratic slate of candidates -- local, state and national -- answers their call http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=299977
NYTIMES | Op-Ed Contributors Published: October 24, 2010
Voting Early, but Not So Often
By BARRY C. BURDEN and KENNETH R. MAYER, professors of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/25/opinion/25mayer.html?_
r=1&nl=opinion&emc=tya2
A study finds that early balloting depresses voter turnout. Exception: “Our research shows that when early voting is combined with same-day registration — that is, you can register to vote and cast an early ballot on the same day — the depressive effect of early voting disappears.”
Ralph Scharnau, Telegraph Herald From the Left Columnist
Sunday, 5 September 2010
Double Take Left: Economy and jobs will influence voters http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=294700
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Biden reaches for votes; During Dubuque visit, vice president stumps for Braley, blasts Republicans
BY COURTNEY BLANCHARD TH STAFF WRITER http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=300662
Friday, October 29, 2010
Optimistic Democrats rally voters at UAW Hall; Many candidates at the get-out-the-vote rally focus on re-electing Culver, who faces a steep
challenge from Branstad BY COURTNEY BLANCHARD TH STAFF WRITER http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=300520
Saturday, October 23, 2010
GOP, Democratic leaders predict success in election; Democrats control the Senate by a 32-18 margin and have a 56-44 edge in the House BY MIKE GLOVER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=299798
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Health insurers aid GOP coffers; Industry's PAC money shifts away from Democrats
BY JIM KUHNHENN AND RICARDO ALONSO-ZALVIDAR, AP http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=299741
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Officials: Iowa does not have a deficit; Members of the Culver administration say FY2010 closed with a balance of $335 million and with $419 million in reserves BY COURTNEY BLANCHARD TH STAFF WRITER http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=299520
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Thomas' wife in spotlight after calling Hill; The Supreme Court Justice's spouse is a political activist with links to the tea party movement
MARK SHERMAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=299491
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wisconsin: Feingold again labels opponent a hypocrite; 5 of Johnson's employees are on state health insurance plan
BY DINESH RAMDE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=299466
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Miller: You put politics aside; During debate, Iowa's attorney general says ideology should not guide decisions. However, he and his opponent accuse each other of doing just that
BY MIKE GLOVER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=299464
The Latest from Sustainable Research Institute - Dr. Francis Thicke's A New Vision for Iowa Food and Agriculture: Sustainable Agriculture for the 21st Century, is an important new book with a blueprint for the future of global agriculture. Thicke's persuasive arguments are drawn from the leading edge of the biological and ecological sciences, and the hard-learned lessons and practical wisdom of one of the world's greatest agricultural regions. Learn more about the book, or download the e-book for free, here: http://www.sriinc.org/
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Supervisors, challengers push for votes; Incumbents defend their stewardship of Dubuque County finances. Their rivals pledge to do a better job during candidate forum BY MARY NEVANS-PEDERSON TH STAFF WRITER http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=299388
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Braley, Branstad stop in tri-states; Democratic 1st District congressman receives an endorsement and blasts rival Lange's plan to alter Social Security.
BY COURTNEY BLANCHARD TH STAFF WRITER http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=299393
Sunday, October 17, 2010
U.S. House Democrats outspending challengers by wide margins; Braley and Kind enjoy big edges in their campaign coffers. But a poll suggests that Kapanke still is making some headway in his bid to unseat Kind.
BY COURTNEY BLANCHARD TH STAFF WRITER http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=299049
Friday, October 15, 2010
Mosque argument spurs walk-off, apology; Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg walk off stage after Bill O'Reilly's comment on 'The View.
BY DAVID BAUDER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=298890
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Culver: Breach of Lake Delhi 'in the past, Governor commits nearly $1 million for emergency stabilization work
BY MARY NEVANS-PEDERSON TH STAFF WRITER http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=298710
October 14, 2010
All 50 States Start Inquiry Into Foreclosures; The officials are looking into accusations that some banks used shoddy paperwork to evict borrowers. By ANDREW MARTIN | NYTIMES BUSINESS DAY http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/business/14foreclosure.html
At a news conference on Wednesday, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who is leading the joint investigation, said the inquiry was not a "silver bullet" to keep delinquent homeowners in their homes. Rather, he said, "this is a chance
to right the law and get the process right."
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Supervisors applaud Runde's service; Dubuque County sheriff will step down Friday to assume his new post as a U.S. marshal BY MARY NEVANS-PEDERSON TH STAFF WRITER http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=298525
Monday, October 11, 2010
Iowa: Braley-Lange debate deals with spending, health care; 1st District opponents debate health care and federal spending
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=298427
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Iowa: AG candidates offer contrast; Incumbent Miller squares off with Brenna Findley to be the state's top lawyer
BY MIKE GLOVER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=298384
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Egg recall key issue in race; Iowa's ag secretary says FDA should retain oversight of egg farms. His opponent argues that the state should adopt its own food-safety rules
BY MICHAEL CRUMB THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=297966
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Obama promotes clean energy; GOP criticizes spending; President says Republicans want to scrap incentives for innovation and jobs
BY ERICA WERNER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=297658
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Explore future of ag in Iowa, candidate says; Thicke would like to see more locally grown food consumed in the state and the next generation of wind power.
BY CRAIG D. REBER TH STAFF WRITER http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=297542
Friday, October 1, 2010
U.S. Senate confirms Ken Runde as marshal; Dubuque County's sheriff awaits President Obama's signature
BY COURTNEY BLANCHARD TH STAFF WRITER http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=297419
Friday, September 24, 2010
Culver defends I-JOBS, budget cuts; Iowa governor accuses Republicans of trying to distort his record.
BY COURTNEY BLANCHARD TH STAFF WRITER http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=296639
Friday, September 24, 2010
Obama: Time for Mideast peace; He also calls for support for human rights during his U.N. General Assembly address
BY BEN FELLER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=296657
Friday, September 24, 2010
Analysis: Stark differences in parties' agendas; GOP pledges to shrink government, cut taxes, undo health overhaul. Democrats want middle-class tax cuts, more stimulus spending, end to outsourcing of jobs.
BY JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=296661
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Violent crime drops; Despite high-profile crimes over the past year, FBI statistics find the city's overall rate continues to fall
BY COURTNEY BLANCHARD, TH Staff Writer http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=296490
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Campaigns debate debates; Challengers push for more high-profile interchanges, but incumbents aim to limit the events. BY MIKE GLOVER, Associated Press http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=294876
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Displaying love of labor; To some, the event is not about the candy, but honoring all of our working people.
BY MARY NEVANS-PEDERSON, TH Staff Writer http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=294870
Monday, September 6, 2010 Never Running from a challenge, Director of labor-management council strives to cultivate a spirit of cooperation. BY CRAIG D. REBER, TH Staff Writer http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=294789
Saturday, August 28, 2010
This tour of duty is no chore for Harkin aide, Jake Oeth; Senator does not need to twist Loras graduate's arm to persuade him to spend 2 days in Dubuque. BY STACEY BECKER, TH Staff Writer http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=293840
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Braley touts energy-saving incentives, Congressman says bill passed in the House and pending in the Senate would help consumers and generate jobs BY KARINA SCHROEDER TH STAFF WRITER http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=292700
Friday July 16, 2010
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Roxanne Conlin talks about Wall Street reform at Cafe Manna Java in Dubuque. http://www.thonline.com/multimedia/?id=3285
Friday, July 16, 2010 Conlin takes aim at Wall Street, Grassley Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate visits Dubuque and praises financial reform.
BY COURTNEY BLANCHARD, TH Staff Writer http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=289327
Friday, 25 June 2010
A lot of the things that have happened in the less-than-two years of this administration are the biggest, or first, or most important in generations." — Rachel Maddow, MSNBC http://my.barackobama.com/MaddowClip
Braley Statement on First Anniversary of Recovery Act
Washington, DC – Congressman Bruce Braley (D-Iowa) released the following statement marking the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's first anniversary. According to www.recovery.gov, Iowa has received more than $2 billion in Recovery Act funds to create jobs and strengthen our state’s economy.
“Through the fall of 2008 and into the early months of 2009, our nation teetered on the edge of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Responding to the critical need of America's middle class families and local governments, Congress acted swiftly to pass the Recovery Act, giving America's economy the critical boost it needed to prevent complete economic disaster. “While we still have a long way to go before we can truly say the recession is over, the Recovery Act has played a critical role in strengthening small businesses and investing in clean energy--two of the linchpins in Iowa's economy.
"Throughout the past year, I've had the chance to meet with small business owners who have been able to start a business and grow as a direct result of Recovery Act funds. State and local governments have used critical Recovery Act funds to maintain or expand necessary services to keep our communities safe and secure. And most importantly, the Recovery Act played a critical role in creating thousands of good-paying infrastructure jobs for Iowa's middle class families. "And I'm proud to say the Recovery Act achieved all of this while undertaking a tremendous effort to be the most transparent government program in American history.
"As we continue to revitalize America's Main Streets in the wake of Wall Street's collapse, we must continue to spur small business growth and expand opportunities for clean energy manufacturing. These are the keys for robust economic progress not only here in Iowa, but across America."
As I travel the state and talk to Iowans, the first question folks ask is what we are doing to grow our economy and create good paying jobs. And I wanted to tell you what I tell everyone: My number one priority is fighting to create good paying private-sector jobs -- with benefits - for Iowans.
From our major investment through I-JOBS to helping create the green collar jobs of the future through the Power Fund - we are creating jobs in the short term and transforming our economy for years to come.
Through I-JOBS, we have now approved more than 1400 projects, and invested more than $570 million dollars in shovel-ready projects statewide. Today, I am visiting Clinton and Davenport to talk about two newly announced I-JOBS projects in those communities.
I-JOBS will modernize our entire state infrastructure, improve our bridges and roads, rebuild from the worst floods in Iowa history, improve water quality and protect our state from future disasters.
Through the Power Fund, we are encouraging private sector jobs in the industries of tomorrow. It is helping make our state a national leader in renewable energy. Today, there are nearly 9,000 green jobs in Iowa. We're literally rebuilding our state and our economy at the same time to move Iowa forward.
We now have the 8th fastest growing economy in the United States. We were recently recognized as being the 4th best place in America to do business - up from 9th just one year ago. And Iowa now has the lowest cost of doing business of any of the fifty states.
These aren't just statistics - they represent new businesses in Iowa, jobs that will help working families for years to come, and are tangible ways we are moving Iowa forward.
Some politicians want us to scrap these programs, turn back the clock, and not invest in our economy or green jobs. But I will not just sit on my hands and join them in playing the same old partisan political game.
History tells us time and again that the Iowa way, and the American way, is that when faced with great challenges, we meet them with bold and decisive action.
We have done that, and with your help we will continue to move Iowa forward.
From: Terry Stewart
Dubuque County Democratic
Chairman uncleter@hotmail.com Subject:An observation on our Current Circumstances
Date: Saturday, January 16, 2010
Bill Clinton left a budget surplus to pay down the national debt. Then the Supreme Court disrupted the 2000 election for George Bush, and over the next eight years, Bush emptied the national treasury. Paul Krugman warned us about the disastrous effects that robbing the treasury (tax cuts for the rich) and fighting an unprovoked war (Iraq) would have on the economy. Bush quickly turned the surplus into record deficits, and quadrupled the national debt, while sabotaging any governmental oversight of his cronies. For the Republicans to whine and cry and moan and groan about the budget expenditures of Barack Obama is blatant hypocrisy.
The best way to describe what's going on is this: the Republicans drove the economy into the ditch, and are now complaining about the cost of the tow truck needed to get us back on the road to a strong economy and responsible policies. They need to push, pull. or get out of the way, and quit siphoning off the lifeblood of our economy for their rich banker and insurance company and military contractor friends.This democracy is supposed to function Of, By, and For ALL the people, not just the corporate giants with the richest lobbyists.
Obama was handed huge problems, and is making a heroic effort to resolve them. Those who created the problems have been the loudest critics and biggest obstructionists to solving them. In spite of their resistance to change, we are inching into the future and making progress on the economy and the environment. From great adversity comes great opportunity. We are living in a key phase of our nation's, and the world's history, and are privileged to be able to participate in the solutions. It's imperative that we meet the challenge.
In an effort to save space, we will no longer be including the full text of articles from other websites here but providing links to the original sites for articles of interest.
We Won Round One on Health Care
Mon. 28 Dec. 2009 by: Scott Galindez,
This article originally appeared at: http://www.truthout.org/1228096
If you went there 1 April 2011, you got this message:
"We could not find your page. Earlier this week, a number of Truthout's articles were vandalized and deleted. We're working to restore the vandalized stories and hope to be back in full force on this new server very soon."
However, you can still read the article here: http://the8thdimension.blogspot.com/2009_12_01_archive.html
Scroll down to TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2009 as the article was posted on the 8th Dimension the day after it appeared on Truth Out.
From: Terry Stewart, Dubuque County Democratic Party Chairman, uncleter@hotmail.com
Subject: "TEA PARTIES" DEFLECT BLAME, AND CONFUSE THE WAY OUT OF CURRENT CRISIS
Date: Thursday, April 16, 2009
Conservatives should have been (and many were) absolutely up in arms the last 8 years as our environment, our privacy and individual freedoms, our world respect, our national honor, our economy were anything BUT "conserved". And when a rally is held that asks for the dismantling of every program except military armaments, and asserts that the new administration is spending at a wildly reckless pace compared to the previous one, I have to present the other view.
I know the majority of people who attended the "tea party" rallies across the country were well-meaning, honest, hard-working folks, but many of the organizers on the national level, such as FOX news, Newt Gingrich, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, are rabidly partisan, and are most happy to get poor and middle-class people who are most harmed by their policies, to do their bidding and advance their causes. Some are fomented into violence, instances of which we've seen in recent weeks. My argument is not with most of the good folks who legitimately express their frustration with the current state of affairs by attending these rallies. It is with the fat cats who brought us to this point and now deflect most of the blame onto Democrats. The whole class warfare "greed is good" emphasis started with Ronald Reagan. "Wealth redistribution" has been upward into the hands of 10 % of the population, with the other 90 % being left further behind. That has got to stop, and rallies that shift the blame and fling about charges of socialism and excessive government don't help turn it around.
We can't solve every crisis by reducing taxes. Government has legitimate purposes beyond military action, and we can't address those simply by cutting taxes. That's just too simplistic, and self-serving of the very wealthy. It's our obligation to make the government good stewards of our resources, and stop the favoritism and no-bid contracting and lack of accountability that has been practiced for many years, but worse than ever the last 8. We've been placed in a deep hole by the Reagan and Bush years, and it is taking a monumental effort to climb out. If our citizens will dialogue with everyone's best interests at heart, and we work hard to make the programs effective, we'll get through this crisis and on to brighter times. The election in November 2008 was a wake-up call for reform, attention to infrastructure, development of new "green" industries, restoration of our place among the family of nations. respect for difference of opinion, civility in diplomacy and political discourse. We have great challenges, and must summon the courage and perseverance to meet them.
INAUGURATION ADVENTURE: LIVING HISTORY by Terry Stewart
Knowing that a crowd possibly in the millions would be thronging Washington for Barack Obama's Inauguration as our 44th President, i was hesitant to enter the fray until my daughter Rachael, a December 2008 Master's Degree graduate of the University of Virginia, said we must find a way to share in this moment in history.
This father-daughter experience was too momentous to miss. Our nation has been passing through some of the darkest times in our history these last eight years, and we're not out of the woods yet. But Obama's election offers us the chance to embrace the future unlike any time since the "Camelot" days of JFK. So with lots of planning, I assembled our trip like a jigsaw puzzle, first with the securing of close-up standing tickets to the swearing-in ceremony, courtesy of Congressman Braley's office, then with a place to stay in Arlington with David, cousin of my wife Judy, and next, a flight from Madison to Charlottesville to team up with my daughter for the drive into D.C. in a rental car.
As the event drew close, I was fortunate to purchase inaugural ball tickets courtesy of Loras Professor Mary Lynn Neuhaus. Mary Lynn had planned for a year and with the help of Jack Wertzberger, she was taking 24 Loras students to D.C. for a seminar on Inauguration and our capitol, including a week of tours and lessons in Washington. With the tickets that two of her people no longer could use, and the loan of her husband Jim's tuxedo, I was equipped for the Ball. In addition, as a retired firefighter and as a Democratic activist, I was invited to attend the International Firefighters' Banquet the night before the Inauguration. And finally I was able to make contact with Pete Judge a former Dodd caucus campaigner who now lives in D.C., who said we could stow our formal clothes at his place on our way to the Firefighters' Banquet so that after the swearing-in ceremony, we wouldn't have to contend with crowd surfing to commute back across the Potomac to Arlington to change our clothes for the Ball. I was ready for the sojourn into our nation's capitol. So on Sunday afternoon 18 January 2009, my trip began.
Judy dropped me off at the Madison airport, and after two de-icings on the runway there, a frozen jetway in Detroit that delayed deplaning and caused me to have to sprint a mile through that airport to get to my next flight in time. only to sit for another de-icing, I finally landed in Charlottesville about 11:30 that night, only two hours beyond the original ETA. Rachael and two friends picked me up and we went back to her house. The next morning Enterprise picked me up, and we headed into Washington. We arrived at David's condo in Arlington at 2:15 PM. We thought we would have to park the car from that moment on, but David informed us that driving in D.C. would still be possible till 2 AM. So after a nice visit, we put on our dress clothes for the banquet, took our formal clothes in hand, and we were ready for the city. After a brief stop at a hotel to pick up the Ball tickets, we crossed the Potomac and drove to Pete Judge's apartment. We shared a beer with Pete, stashed our formal clothes in his closet, and set off to find the banquet site. Traffic was slow but steady until we neared Mt. Vernon Square, then a strange phenomenon began. As we inched forward to an intersection where we needed to turn, police barricaded the street. So we incled on to the next corner, and it happened again. As we approached the third corner, I began my turn and police started into the street with their barracades but fortunately I was past the corner when they got there. (Later we learned that Obama's dinner in honor of McCain was about to start in the convention center near the square, and that was why all the streets were shutting down.) Traffic continued to creep and we began to think we would miss the banquet. Then we looked to our left, and there appeared a perfectly good parking place, so with a quick U-turn, we were parked, and walked the last three blocks to the banquet, taking place in a wonderful Italian restaurant.
We arrived just as everyone took their seats. Firefighters' President Harold Schaitberger told a personal anecdote that was touching: When he was a 13-year old Boy Scout, he walked in John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Parade. And tomorrow he was privileged to sit in the President's Box to view Barack Obama's Inaugural Parade. The thrill of a young boy for the opportunities presented by JFK still lived, or perhaps was born anew, in President Schaitberger's voice that night in anticipation of the Obama presidency. After a sumptuous 5-course dinner, and wonderful conversation with our tablemates, firefighters from Miami who had worked in New York City for disaster relief after 9-11, we drove back to Arlington. Up at 6:20 AM on Inauguration Day, we dressed, had a light breakfast, tucked snacks into pockets and fannypack, and walked one block to await the express bus into D.C. The ambient temperature was about 20 degrees F., so the wait was a bit chilly. A couple of buses with the wrong number passed, then a bus stopped and the driver said there were no more express buses, but he would take us to the Pentagon where we could catch another bus in. But when we arrived at 7:40 AM, all the buses emptied and Security said the bridges were closed, that the city was too packed. Metrorail crowds were so dense that the wait would be 1 1/2 to 2 hours before we could even board. We turned to look at the city across the Potomac, and up walked Terri and Ellen Goodmann, also faced with the transportation dilemma. Interstate 365 was closed to bus and car traffic, so with a nod we joined forces and started walking the interstate. We could see the Washington Monument across the river, and further up, the top of the capitol dome. (A half hour into our walk, my cell phone rang, and friends who were gathered at the Asbury Fire Station for the Dubuque County Democrats Inauguration viewing party said they were watching Rachael, Terri, Ellen, and me walk across that bridge.
Apparently a helicopter had televised us. We were stunned that of all the masses descending on Washington that day, folks back home caught a glimpse of us four hiking into the city.) The bridge across the frozen Potomac was brushed with a breeze off the ice, but our brisk, steady pace mitigated the chill. We passed the Smithsonian, and the crowds intensified. We parted with Terri and Ellen because their gate was on that side of the Mall, but Rachael and I had to find a way to the north side for our ticketed section. We had to hold hands and thread our way slowly and carefully, continually reassuring people we were only passing through and not getting in their line. Finally we emerged from that throng, only to see more of the same ahead. We had hoped there would be an avenue held open across the Mall, but the entire Mall was fenced. I asked one police officer how we could get over to the other side but he had no clue. A little later I asked another, and he said since traffic was banned, just walk down the ramp and walk the interstate UNDER the Mall, so off we set again. About 10.000 people were going our way, but probably 300,000 were coming toward us in the other lanes. (We later learned that many of them got stuck in the tunnel because of the density of the crowd we were departing, and missed the ceremony.) We emerged from the tunnel, turned right and walked six more blocks, passing numerous vendors hawking all manner of memorabilia, which, if we'd had a way to carry, we could have acquired many mementoes. Finally we came to a line awaiting entry into the Yellow section, and took up the rear. The line was about three blocks long in front of us, but soon was just as long behind. We were surrounded by Californians, and a couple of them pointed out that we were standing not too far from Tim Robbins. I resisted the urge to approach and ask him where Susan Sarandon was today.
The line moved steadily and after another half hour we reached the first security gate. Everyone funneled down to a three-foot wide opening in the fence, but then it opened up to a dozen or more metal detectors. As I was retrieving possessions from the table after passing through the detector, I realized I had lost my digital camera somewhere between the Smithsonian and here, and going back was impossible. Fortunately Rachael had her trusty 35mm camera, and got some pix. After several more security gates and showing our photo ID's and tickets, we were in. We had just walked about five miles, and had been on foot for over two hours, but we were there. And then one minor irony: we were so close to the speaker's stand, about 100 yards, that the bleachers on the capitol steps blocked our view. But we were 30 yards from a jumbotron, and surrounded by almost two million people who, that day, in that place, were all each others' brothers and sisters. We watched the luminaries walk through the capitol and take their seats for the ceremony. When Joe Biden took his oath, an expectant wave of energy swept across the Mall --- Cheney is OUT OF OFFICE, Biden is IN, and Obama's next !!!! Then as Barack H. Obama completed his oath shortly after high noon on the 20th of January 2009, tears, hugs, hoorays, laughter, and the realization that his moment, our moment, had arrived. Then large cannon a block away fired their 21-gun salute, and like wind across a field of wheat, the percussion of the guns swept across the crowd and off into the distance. As the ceremony drew to a close and Reverend Lowery gave the famous "black won't have to get back, brown can stick around, yellow can be mellow, red can get ahead, and white can make it right" quote, the unity was palpable. And when he concluded with "Say Amen and Amen and Amen" the crowd happily echoed his urging and the dream went forth from capitol hill. Rachael and I then walked to Union Station for the Firefighters' Champaign Lunch at America Restaurant, where our feet thawed out while we ate scrambled eggs, broasted potatoes, sausage, and mimosas and coffee, and watched a TV monitor showing our new president and vice-president and other officials at lunch in the Capitol Rotunda.
After lunch we walked to the Dirksen Senate Office Building where most of the Iowa Congressional delegation spoke with Iowa constituents. Senators Harkin and Grassley, and Representatives Braley, Loebsack, and Boswell attended, but Representatives King and Latham skipped it. After the reception, Rachael and I walked to Pete's place, thawed out again, watched the parade on TV until the Dubuque Colts passed by the presidential stand, then we donned our formal clothes and prepared for the Ball. We put our other clothes in bags and walked back to Union Station to take the Metrorail. We caught a lull in the massed humanity and had no problem getting on the Metrorail to George Washington University. We arrived at our stop at 7 PM but the Ball wasn't for another hour so we got a light meal at a Thai restaurant, then walked to the Omni Shoreham Hotel for our Ball. The hotel had four large ballrooms, and each one had an amazing buffet table set up, and a different sound of live music, pop in one ballroom , classical in another, jazz in another......
We stowed our coats and bags in the coatcheck room and joined Mary Lynn Neuhaus at a table in one of the ballrooms. The tuxedos, gowns, food, and music made the evening the perfect capper to a magical day. At midnight we walked back to the Metrorail and blissfully trained back to Arlington. At every stop people in tuxs and gowns were getting on or off, wending their way homeward, and the aura of a new beginning hung in the air. America, and the world, are opening a new chapter, and we helped turn the page.
Terry served as DCD’s First Vice-Chair 1982-83, and Chairman 1983-84. During that time he moderated a debate between presidential candidates George McGovern, Gary Hart, and Alan Cranston. Terry served as a Dubuque Firefighter from 1983 to 2006, and continued county and district Central Committee and election-season activity throughout his career. He also served several years as union president of the Dubuque Professional Firefighters, and on the City Labor-Management and Dubuque Area Labor-Management health care committees. After retiring, he was again elected DCD Chairman, serving from 2007 to 2011.
It is 2 hours and 15 minutes from the door of my house in Charlottesville to the door of my maternal cousin’s condo building in Arlington. My father and I discovered this when we made the drive on the afternoon of Martin Luther King Day. It’s the best time we’ve made on a trek to NoVa. I used to go up once a month or so to research at the Library of Congress for my Architectural History master’s thesis. But that’s finished now.
The purpose of this trip was the inauguration of Barack Obama.As the first caucus state, Iowans take an intense interest in Presidential politcis. Terryl (my father) flew into Charlottesville on Sunday. We got on our rental car from Enterprise the next day. At one of the many democratic gatherings Terryl goes to in Dubuque, Iowa, as chair of the Dubuque County Democratic party, he’d signed us up to volunteer putting together care packages for soldiers, but when Monday came he couldn’t remember where this event was supposed to be. So instead of setting out again as soon as we got to David’s (my maternal cousin’s) we spent a couple of relaxing hours with him before it was time to get ready for the International Association of Fire Fighter’s (IAFF) banquet. (Terryl is also a retired firefighter). David said we would be okay to drive into the District for the banquet that night. First we went to a hotel in Arlington to pick up our tickets for the George Washington University inaugural ball. A Law professor from Loras College, in Dubuque, was teaching a January term course in conjunction with the inauguration and had arranged the tickets for us. Then we went to Pete’s. The IAFF had backed Sen. Christopher Dodd in the Iowa caucuses, and Terryl had gotten to know several of the “Dodd boys” as he called the young staffers who came to Iowa a year ago for the caucuses. Pete was a former Dodd boy, now working for Congressman Foster of Chicago. He’d agreed to let Terryl and I leave our clothes for the next day’s ball in his basement apartment. After a quick shared beer and a stop for batteries at the corner store, we were off again. We had few problems with traffic at all on Monday until we got to Mount Vernon Square, which took us a half hour to get around because the police closed off all its streets just at we got to it.
We found out later that Obama and McCain were appearing at events in the Convention Center, on Mount Vernon Square, that night. We finally got to the restaurant where the IAFF banquet was taking place, and settled in at a table with firefighters from Florida. They told us how FEMA had contracted with 28 large precincts around the country (like Miami-Dade) to keep Urban Search and Rescue (USR) task forces in the ready for disasters such as September 11th or Hurricane Katrina. Each task force consists of two 31-person teams, four canines, and a comprehensive equipment cache. One of our dinner companions spoke about trying to get to New Jersey after September 11th. Normally USRs would fly if they’re going to a disaster more than 6 hours away, but with all of the planes grounded for two days immediately after September 11th, his USR had to rent semis to transport themselves, their dogs, and all their equipment. And then once they got to the military base in New Jersey that was serving as the staging ground for the rescue workers heading to ground zero, all of the guards were on such high alert that every one and everything had to be thoroughly searched before being let on the base.
Our companion’s USR had also gone to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina, which he said was more devastated than New Orleans, but overshadowed by that city. Interesting enough, there were many paramedics in New Orleans for an EMS conference at the time Katrina hit. Since then, FEMA has added cold-water and swift-water rescue to the procedures USRs are required to know. Being from a city on the Mississippi river, Terryl was already trained in such rescues and shared his own stories. When the meal finally ended three hours later, we were stuffed with food and knowledge.
Terryl gave a picture of the IAFF president with Sen. Thomas Harkin (of Iowa) to him, and then we headed back to Arlington. We woke up Tuesday morning around 6:20 and left the condo shortly after 7. David had told us the metro would be filled by people coming from the farther out suburbs, so we decided to take one of the special buses (16s) running from Arlington to D.C. for the inauguration. Around 7:30 a bus driver informed us that the bus signs weren’t programed to display “16S”, so we’d have to take a regular 16 to the pentagon and switch there. The bridges and highways into D.C. had been closed to all but pedestrian and bus traffic early that morning. At the pentagon, we discovered that the buses were so backed up that they weren’t letting anymore in, so we decided to walk, and as luck would have it, on the bridge we met up with a Biden campaigner and her mother, also from Dubuque. We got a call from Dubuque informing us that one of the helicopters flying overhead had put the image of the four of us walking over the 395 bridge from Arlington to D.C. on the news. We said our goodbyes when we got to the blue gate, where they had to go in, while Terryl and I had to force our way through the crowd waiting for the blue gate to get to the 395 underpass to take us to the otherside of the mall for the yellow gate. We finally arrived in line at 9:30. The line moved slowly, but steadily and we were through the gate by 10:30. Leaving security, Terryl discovered that he’d lost his digital camera sometime in between buying the additional batteries for it the night before and that morning. But we still had my trusty 35mm. The yellow zone was about 100 yards from the stage, but our particular section was in the far northeast corner of the zone, so our view of the stage was blocked by the bleachers built around it and we watched most of the ceremony on a jumbotron. I was surprised when the crowed booed Sen. Lieberman, but I guess no one sets their own off like a “turncoat”.
I did enjoy the crowd singing “Hey, hey, hey, Good-bye” when Pres. Bush made his appearance. Booing may be in bad taste, but I thought a little humor was appropriate. Terryl considers Carter the best president of his lifetime, and I feel the same way about Clinton, so we were very pleased to see those two former presidents attending the inauguration. Aretha Franklin sang in the hat now garnering fans on Facebook. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriela Montero, and clarinetist Anthony McGill performed beautifully “Air and Simple Gifts”, which was billed as a new composition by John Williams, but sounded like an arrangement of the melody for the Shaker hymn “It’s the gift to be simple”. Justice Paul Stevens, arguably the most influential Justice of the Supreme Court now that Sandra Day O'Conner has retired, administered the oath of office to Vice President Biden. When Pete asked us later if we’d noticed President Obama screw-up while taking the oath, we’d replied that he’d only repeated the screw up of the Chief Justice. President Obama’s speech was very good. Much of the crowd started to leave during Elizabeth Alexander’s poem, but we weren’t going anywhere until Rev. Joseph E. Lowery, cofounder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, closed his benediction with words Terryl remembered from the Civil rights movement: “help us work for that day when black will not be asked to give back, when brown can stick around, when yellow will be mellow, when the red man can get ahead, man, and when white will embrace what is right. Let all who do justice and love mercy say amen”. “Amen” we repeated with the crowd as we started to exit. “And Amen”. “Amen”. “And Amen” “Amen”.
We walked to Union Station for the IAFF Champagne Brunch at America restaurant. Everyone had to be gone by 2:00 so they could start setting up for that night’s festivities, so at first security didn’t want to let us in, but Terryl called over the restaurant manager, showed her our passes, and explained that the IAFF president had personally invited him to the brunch, so she let us in with the admonishment that they’d be closing soon. We got our first bathroom break and food of the day, enjoying scrambled eggs, sausage, mini-corn bread muffins, and mimosas while the T.V. showed President Obama walking into statuary hall of the Capitol building for the congressional lunch with “Hail to the Chief” played for him for the first time. Leaving the restaurant we walked to the Dirksen Senate Office building, where the Iowa congressional delegation was having their reception. Sen. Harkin (D) was only able to stop in briefly inbtween the congressional lunch ending and that afternoon’s Senate session beginning, but Terryl managed to give him a copy of the picture with the IAFF president. After he left, Congressmen Bruce Braley (D), Dave Loebsack (D), and Leonard Boswell (D) made their remarks and brought Sen. Charles Grassley (R) up to the front when he entered. Loebsack commented on Grassley’s breast-cancer awareness tie, a bipartisan issue they could all support. Congressmen Steve King (R) and Tom Latham (R) were unable to make the reception. Braley’s staffers had arranged for Terry’s tickets to the inauguration, so we thanked them, and Braley noticed that Terryl had been wearing a “Braley for Congress” T-shirt under his coat. Then we went to Pete’s, where we watched the parade on T.V. until we saw the Dubuque Colts Drum and Bugle Corps go marching by, and then we started getting ready for the George Washington University Ball.
We left for Union Station metro station at 6, wanting to get there before the parade let out and the Metro was flooded again. We were in the neighborhood where the ball would be taking place by 7, and it didn’t start until 8, so we decided to have a quick snack at an asian restaurant. At the ball we met up with the law professor and two of her friends. Our $100 tickets included a fine buffet, but I was shocked that drinks other than coffee or tea were extra, but any drinks other than coffee or tea were extra. I am prone to stress fractures in my feet, and they were very sore from the four-to-five miles of walking I’d done that day, so I spent most of the ball elevating my feet and guarding the table as the night wore on and the ball become more crowded. Our midwest friends departed around 10, but the mother of a woman who’s daughter was a student at George Washington joined us. At 11 I managed to dance a little before getting the metro back to Arlington. On Wednesday we drove into the District, first stopping at Sen. Dodd’s office in the Russell Senate building to see if he was around for Terryl to say “hi”. He wasn’t, so we left a note. Next we went to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s office, where the staffers we joking about “one more day” in that office. I asked a staffer if the anonymous blocker of Sen. Rodham Clinton’s confirmation as Secretary of State had come forward. He had - Sen. John Cornyn. The staffer gave us two tickets to the Senate gallery for that day’s vote on Rodham Clinton’s confirmation, but when we got to the Capitol we discovered it was at least a 45 minute wait to get into the gallery, because no one who was already in wanted to leave until the vote had happened. So we checked with the Capitol police to see if Terryl’s camera had turned up (it hadn’t), and made some very bad decisions getting on the highway, meaning it took us at least three hours to get back to Charlottesville. A surprisingly large amount of people got of 64 at Bull Run, but after that it was a smooth trip. I’m sure President Obama will also face some roadblocks, but hopefully he will make smarter choices than we did in dealing with them.
Rachael René Schmidt Stewart received a Master’s of Architectural History and a Certificate of Historic Preservation from UVa’s School of Architecture in May 2008 and a Master’s of Urban and Environmental Planning in December 2008. She continued to work for the University of Virginia in Charlottesville after graduating until moving back to her hometown of Dubuque, Iowa, fall 2009 to become involved in the "family business" of democratic politics.
Off to Washington DC
I departed Friday from DBQ Regional Airport and arrived at Washington National later in the day.
Before recounting the experience of the inaugural I must tell you that I was fortunate to spend a good amount of time in DC with 24 J-term Loras College students who were studying presidential inaugurals with Professor Mary Lynn Neuhaus and Development Director Jack Wertzberger. (they could not be with finer individuals in my estimation!)
Loras J - Term
It was a joy to be able to see the event through the eyes of their bright and eager students. I was invited to speak to the students about my experiences in politics as an activist and volunteer. I used two of my favorite quotes. The first by Mahatma Gandhi - "be the change you want to see in the world." Barak Obama challenges this next "greatest generation" to become involved and invested in their respective communities. I reminded them of the late great Shirley Chisolm who said "give one hour every week to someone less fortunate." After much discussion and sharing of stories, the session closed and I chose a quote by John Lennon - roughly - "life is what happens when you're busy planning it." I encouraged the students to be open to the great possibilities of life. To avoid becoming discouraged with setbacks or what may initially appear to be misfortune. It is only life unfolding before our eyes. Our choices and attitudes can transform even the worst situation into an opportunity.
The students also enjoyed a dinner hosted by former Congressman Tom Tauke and his wife Beverly on Saturday night. Mr.Tauke spoke to them about public service and encouraged them to participate in their communities and to consider a life in politics.
Sunday with Bidens and Iowans
Sunday I attended a brunch hosted by Hunter Biden. Beau Biden had returned from Iraq the night before. Beau told me he was fortunate to be able to come home. Beau is the Attorney General of Delaware and also a member of the National Guard. He was called up for active duty and serves as a JAG in Iraq. Beau told me that both his little children crawled into bed with him and his wife the night before. He was grateful to spend a few days stateside with his family and to attend his father's swearing in.
At the Hunter Biden brunch I also ran into former Dubuque County Democratic Party Chair Pat "Looper" Lynch. How lucky can I get!!!??? Pat was enjoying the event with Teamster Vice President John Murphy and awaiting young Hoffa. We all enjoyed breakfast together before Pat and I set out to find the Vilsack reception being held at a small art gallery in downtown DC.
Pat and I arrived at the Vilsack reception just as Senator Harkin and his spouse Ruth were leaving with Dubuquer Rob Tully. We shared greetings and dove into the crowd to share the camaraderie of other Iowa democrats. Governor Vilsack and Christie shared plans to keep one foot in Iowa and one foot in DC, representatives Braley, Loebsack, and Boswell joined in the kibitzing. We discussed the stimulus package and the museum and aquarium. Representative Loebsack has never been to the facility so I extended and invitation to be our guests in Dubuque. Attorney General (and Dubuquer) Tom Miller looked better than he did at the Condition of the State address - the bruising on his face is healing from a bad fall. Conversations were also exchanged with John Cacciatore, John Norris (Sec of Agriculture Chief of Staff) and Jackie Norris (Michelle Obama's new Chief of Staff), Sarah Benzing and her beau (described as her "eye candy" to me and others - lovely fellow), Governor Culver staff (the Governor had just left), Dubuquer Nate Beecher and his fiancee, and many, many more folks.
Sunday evening I attended the reception at the Kennedy Center honoring VPE Joe Biden. It was a gala event of about two hundred people. Faith Hill and her husband Tim McGraw were the featured entertainment and it was a thrill to see such wonderful artists. I was able to see and speak to the Senator and Dr. Jill Biden. Other conversations were with Beau and Hunter Biden, Joe's sister Valerie Biden and her daughter Missy who ran Beau Biden's race for Attorney General in Delaware. Missy also helped to manage Joe's campaign in Iowa. Mama Jeanne Finnegan Biden was also in attendance along with Hunter's wife Kathleen (who's mother Roberta King graduated from Clarke College in Dubuque)! Hunter and Kathleen have three daughters and they were in attendance as well - Naomi, Maizie and Finnegan - it was great to see everyone in the family.
Past and present Biden staffers were among the crowd at the Kennedy Center, some from the campaign of twenty- two years ago and some from this most recent campaign. Many, many people were asking for Ellen Goodmann our daughter who staffed the Biden campaign in Northeast Iowa. Nelly had reluctantly decided to stay behind to save money for her May 15th wedding to Tommie Miller but after Sunday night I called in all my frequent flier miles to purchase a ticket for her. Nel arrived after midnight, in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, just in time to enjoy the inauguration and the Biden States Ball at the Convention Center. (my wonderful husband, John, did not attend - he believes that the best seat for the inaugural is the same as the best seat for the Super Bowl - and that is the recliner in the family room! He stayed home with Elise who had rehearsal for Show Choir competition and spring musical auditions).
The Kennedy Center tribute to VPE Joe Biden also included speeches and visits from President Bill Clinton, Senator Blanche Lincoln of AK and Senator Barb Mikulski of MD.
Following the Biden Tribute at the Kennedy Center, I traveled to the Iowa Reception at the Capital City Brewing Company. It was already 10:30 and the crowd was ripe with conversation, food and drink. I was thrilled to see Kim Carr (I forget her married name). She had traveled with husband and daughter "Rosie" (what a great name) to DC for the inaugural. We chatted for the better part of an hour about her work in the Sierra Mts in CA. She was eager to know about the sustainability initiative in Dubuque and was very pleased to hear that her home town was making so much progress in the addressing climate change in proactive fashion. We had wonderful conversation and she is one Dubuquer that I would love to see return!
Monday Search for the Tickets
Monday was devoted to assisting the Loras students to secure tickets for the inauguration. Jack and Mary Lynn wanted all the students to be able to attend but they did not have enough tickets. I received four tickets to the inaugural from the Biden people which I passed along to the students and I stood outside Longworth House Office Bldg for three hours to get an additional two tickets. Thousands of people were in line at all the House and Senate office buildings for tickets. It was sixteen degrees with a stiff wind - but the mood was euphoric everywhere in DC for the entire visit. I had a group of three women from Georgia ahead of me and a group of Native American Veterans behind me from North Dakota - primarily Sioux on a Chippewa reservation. After I entered the building and secured the tickets, I had a chance to talk to Dubuquer and Braley staffer Todd Wolf. He handles tax policy for Braley and we discussed the need for new market tax credits for the IBM - Roshek Building. Todd is a great fella and his parents are both Deere workers. I teased Sarah Benzing about her boyfriend, ate a cookie and enjoyed a hot chocolate provided by staff, spoke with the Congressman briefly and then walked the mall to identify points of entry for all the assorted tickets. MSNBC with Keith Oberman et al was positioned half way down the mall between Air and Space Museum and the Smithsonian Castle (I was on the Independence Avenue side). I wandered up to the crowd assembled and enjoyed the energy and excitement of the group. I started to walk back toward the Key Bridge on Independence, meditating on the historic significance of the day that would dawn in less than twelve hours.
Book Talk
For this trip I decided to read the People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn and as I walked along I recalled the sordid history of slavery in America. One of my Clarke College professors described slavery as "America's original sin." I also remembered hours spent as a young girl reading about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, writing a paper in seventh grade on the same and being elected in eighth grade at St. Paul the Apostle in Davenport to represent our class at the NAACP meetings in Rock Island at the Gospel Temple. I remembered the sense of utter despair that accompanied the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King in 1968, not just my hero but a true American hero for millions.
People along the mall and throughout DC were in a celebratory mood at the impending inauguration of America's first African American president. Everyone was a friend and conversations, tears and joy were spontaneous.
I spoke with David Maraniss from the Washington Post. He told me that he was writing Barak Obama's biography. I consider David to be one of the best biographers alive today if not the best. He received a Pulitzer Prize for his book on Bill Clinton - First in His Class and is also noted for his book on Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi. A personal favorite of mine is David's book on Vietnam and UW-Madison protests - They Marched Into Sunlight. David reported that his wife Linda is planning their trip to Kenya early in 2010 (his book will take three years research) and they plan to travel to Kansas next month and Hawaii in March. Stay tuned...
Doug Brinkley also called. Doug is a noted presidential historian and a protege of the late Stephen Ambrose. Doug traveled to Dubuque on the Delta Queen seven years ago with Ambrose for a book they co- authored titled The Mississippi and the Making of a Nation. He serves on the National Advisory Board for the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. Doug wrote the book about John Kerry's experience in Vietnam based on Kerry's personal journals. Doug has also written a book on Theodore Roosevelt and the American conservation movement to be released in April. Doug and his wife Annie were en route to a party hosted by Maureen Dowd. He had already spent three hours that day on CNN news and also some time in an interview for Larry King Live.
Inauguration Day
Tuesday morning started early with Ellen's arrival at 2 a.m. We crawled into bed for a short night's sleep rising at 6 a.m. to begin the journey to the district from our hotel in Pentagon City. We quickly realized that the metro was not an option. We began the five mile walk to the Capitol grounds and the Blue Ticket entrance. Along the route we picked up two happy and hardy companions - Terry and Rachel Stewart! It was wonderful to see them and we joined hundreds of others making the surreal journey along abandoned interstate bridges into the district.
Ellen and I split with Terry and Rachel as they headed north to Constitution Avenue at the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian where their ticket entrance was located. Nelly and I were nearly crushed in the Silver Ticket line as we tried to cut diagonally through the crowd to reach the Blue Line. Once there, we realized that the numbers of ticket holders far exceeded the limitations of space in the blue ticket area. When it became clear we were not going to get into the designated area, we decided to trek back to the hotel so that we would not miss the inaugural address. We began the long circuitous walk back. Luckily after several miles were able to catch a Red Top cab back to Virginia.
Our feet were frozen but our spirits were buoyed by warm blankets on our feet as we watched Barak H. Obama and our long time friend Joseph R. Biden sworn into office.
Shortly thereafter we began the necessary preparations for the Biden States Inaugural Ball. Ellen looked beautiful and I was happy to be with her as we set out for the DC Convention Center.
At the ball we enjoyed meeting with old and new friends. We enjoyed the dance of the new President and Vice President. We visited with all the Biden campaign staffers and many of their parents. Everyone looked fabulous and the dance floor was full.
Special Invitation to the Naval Observatory
Our flights home were scheduled for Thursday and we were happy for that because we received a special invitation to join the Biden family at the Vice President's residence - the Naval Observatory on Mass Avenue on Wednesday evening.
We were two of about fifty people who were welcomed into the residence. It was a wonderful way to top off the inaugural experience. We had time to visit with Jill and Vice President Biden about the day, their plans, and other matters of consequence in addition to laughing and recalling the long journey to this inauguration day and the many people who made it possible. The very first words out of VP Biden's mouth were "I saw the band from Dubuque in the parade! They were fabulous! Did you see them?!" Of course, we did not have tickets for the parade route so we did not see the Colts but we had met several of the parents at the Iowa Reception on Sunday night at the Brewery. It was great to know that the VP enjoyed and recognized our city's ambassadors in the parade.
After several hours, we returned to the hotel, packed and tucked into bed. In the morning we dashed to the craziness of Washington National airport and after our last encounter with large crowds, settled into the flight home to Dubuque.
While I am sure I will remember more - these are the high points. It was a privilege to be able to be in DC and for our family it all started in 1986 with a phone call and a commitment to volunteer for one of many presidential campaigns.
Thanks to all the volunteers who make the Democratic Party so great - it is an honor to be included in your ranks!
The 2008 election could break all the records for voter turnout among college students -- but only if young people get accurate information about registration, absentee ballots and their voting rights.
Help Common Cause protect the student vote!
We've already seen examples of election administrators giving misleading information to students who are hoping to vote for the first time. That's why Common Cause is pulling out all the stops to educate at least 50,000 new student voters about:
* how to confirm that they are registered to vote;
* where their polling place is located;
* what forms of ID they will need to vote;
* who to contact for help if their voting rights are challenged on Election Day; and
* ways to stay politically active after November 4th.
We're also building bridges between local election administrators and college campuses to make sure that eligible first-time voters aren't turned away at the polls. For example, we're talking with school officials to ask them to issue utility bills to students who need written proof of their campus address, and with local county officials to make sure their poll workers are trained to accept campus utility bills.
And we'll be running "voter empowerment" tables at polling places near colleges across the country to provide first-time voters with support in case they face any voting challenges.
With your help, we can reach more students on more campuses in more states.
Susannah Goodman, Daryn Cambridge, and the rest of the team at Common Cause
Voting and Registration in Dubuque County
Yes, we do have election day registration. However, we also STILL
have the law in place that closes registration 10 days before
election day. The result is that you may register to vote up to 10
days before election day. From days 9 to 1 before, you may NOT
register to vote. Then on election day, if you are unregistered, you
may go to your precinct polling place, present ID - there is a
specific list of what counts as evidence of residency on election day
- and register and vote right there. So registration does technically
close 10 days before election day, but it reopens on election day itself.
Daily Reports from our Dubuque Democrat in Denver,
Kathleen Weber.
Thursday. August 28, 2008
Dear Dbq. Dems,
I just read the article in the TH and was a bit surprised to read that I thought Hillary's speech was about diversity and unity. Below is the email I sent to Mary Rae Tuesday night. Oh well.
After our morning breakfast, Nancy Pelosi made an unexpected appearance, along with Dick Durbin. And after that we cast our ballots for president. I was surprised about how emotional I felt about doing this. My son was here and got a photo. According to the rules, candidates may change their vote until 4PM this afternoon. Hillary is meeting with her delegates at 1:00, so we'll see what happens after that.
Mary Rae,
Another powerful day at the Democratic convention!
I felt proud to be an American and a Democrat as the convention opened this afternoon with an African- American woman's prayer, and talks by a Native- American from ND, a Latino-American from CA, and a Japanese-American from Hawaai. What a celebration of diversity! And a celebration of unity.
There was great anticipation of Clinton's speech this evening, and I think she rose to the occasion. Comments I remember:"This is a fight for the future. No one can afford to sit on the sidelines. We must unite. The time is now. Barack Obama is my candidate and must be our next president."
I'm tired and eager for a good night's sleep. Kathleen
Later: Oh my, what a day! I attended a luncheon sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations and featuring Madeline Albright. I returned to my hotel with the intention of getting off a quick email to you and a quick power nap, turned on the TV and saw that the roll call had already started. (earlier than I had understood it to start). I took off running and made it to the Pepsi Center in good time. The minute Hillary/New York passed and recommended Obama be nominated by acclamation, two African American women and one Latino sitting next to me burst into tears. It was another emotional moment for us.
I am so pumped up after hearing Bill Clinton and Joe Biden tonight. The Pepsi Center was rockin'. A tomorrow at the Mile High Stadium...... It is great to be here. Thank you for the privilege, Dubuque Dems. Kathleen
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Tuesday. August 26, 2008
Hi Everyone,
What an incredible whirlwind this is! As Gov. Culver said this morning, "Who needs sleep? Only seventy some days until the election. We can all sleep soundly for eight years, once Obama is elected." Yesterday, Monday, the Iowa delegation was invited to lunch at the home of Rep. Leonard Boswell's daughter. He sat at my table for breakfast this morning and said they had six left of 300 pork chops prepared, so it was a big and hungry crowd. We had live music and Mrs. Boswell sang a song about Iowa, which was very dear. I mentioned to the Senator this morning that I did not recognize the song and he said, "Oh they made that up!"
Yesterday was our first day at the convention and I must say my heart fluttered a bit as I walked in. I am SO blessed to be here. There is no way I could have imagined what this would be like. It is a huge sensory jolt. Lights, sounds, numbers of people, inspiring speeches, celebrities, technology, just amazing!
Obama fever is high. Joe Biden is already here, sitting with the Delaware delegation, and every time the camera showed his face the crowd roared!
The Iowa delegation has great seats. We are just behind the Vermont delegation, which is quite small, considering their state population is 600,000 and ours is 2.8 million. We are right center with a good view of the stage. I have been able to get photos from where I sit, without a telephoto lens. Unfortunately, I cannot download photos to send them on to you and will be happy to share when I get back.
> I assume most of you watched Ted Kennedy last night. There were few dry eyes in the place. And then Michelle! As those of you who saw her in Dubuque can attest, she is an incredible woman.
Gov. Culver speaks a 3PM today so the Iowa delegation gathers at 2PM in the lobby for transportation to the Pepsi Center so we can be seated before he speaks and give him a rousing welcome. There was a bit of a snafu with shuttle transportation yesterday and many of us missed the opening gavel.
Mark Warner and Hillary Clinton speak tonight. Aren't we fortunate to have seen and heard all these people up close and personal in Iowa?
Keep sending good Iowa energy this way. Kathleen
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Sunday. August 24, 2008
Dear Friends and Family
Dick and I arrived shortly before noon on Saturday. We flew out of the Dubuque airport just after catching a glimpse of Joe Biden on the TV screen. What a wonderful start to our trip, since we were both hoping for VP Biden. Saturday afternoon we did a "walk around" of downtown Denver, found our hotel, the Pepsi Center and a general lay of the land and then spent the evening with Kaylene (my friend of 47 years) at her home. We were all up bright and early this morning to run/walk a 5K "Race for Cancer Research" at Washington Park.
Kaylene won a gold medal for female runners 60-69 years and I won a silver for female walkers 60-69. Not bad considering I had been in the mile high altitude for less than 24 hours!
Checked into the Iowa Delegation hotel this afternoon, which is in a great location. The 16th Street Mall, in front of our hotel is alive with people, music, vendors (with every political pin you can imagine) demonstrations of various kinds, police on horseback, motorcycles, and foot. It is very festive, with LOTS of Obama enthusiasm! People are friendly, welcoming, and eager to talk politics. We also watched Chris Matthews broadcasting live from Union Station. All this and it's only 3:30 in the afternoon. I need a nap.
Early this evening there is a reception honoring the Iowa Democratic Elected Officials and delegation with Sen Tom Harkin the featured speaker.
Kathleen
Dear friends,
So many people have asked me about what I know about
Sarah Palin in the last 2 days that I decided to write
something up . . .
Basically, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton have only 2
things in common: their gender and their good looks. :)
You have my permission to forward this to your
friends/email contacts with my name and email address
attached, but please do not post it on any websites, as
there are too many kooks out there . .
[This was already posted on Washington Independent
comments area, with a controllable hotmail account, and
was obviously meant by the author to be read.]
I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah
since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing
special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our
children have attended the same schools. Her father was
my child's favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a
first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I
attended more City Council meetings during her
administration than about 99% of the residents of the
city.
She is enormously popular; in every way she's like the
most popular girl in middle school. Even men who think
she is a poor choice and won't vote for her can't quit
smiling when talking about her because she is a "babe".
It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can
keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a
secret from her children and parents for seven months. She is "pro-life". She recently gave birth to a Down's
syndrome baby. There is no cover-up involved, here;
Trig is her baby.
She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked
out at the gym. She is savvy. She doesn't take positions; she just"puts things out there" and if they prove to be
popular, then she takes credit.
Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP
and is a champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin's kind
of job is highly sought-after because of the schedule
and high pay. He arranges his work schedule so he can
fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in
summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing
their major source of income. Nor has her life-style
ever been anything like that of native Alaskans.
Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters. She's smart.
Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population
of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as
governor of a state with about 670,000 residents.
During her mayoral administration most of the actual
work of running this small city was turned over to an
administrator. She had been pushed to hire this
administrator by party power-brokers after she had
gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous
firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.
Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a "fiscal conservative".
During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general
government expenditures by over 33%. During those same
6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City
increased by 38%. This was during a period of low
inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property
taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed
even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited
large corporate property owners way more than they
benefited residents.
The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral
administration weren't enough to fund everything on her
wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She
inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with
indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin
encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the
infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage
treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library?
No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a
multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to
build on a piece of property that the City didn't even
have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs
later--to the delight of the lawyers involved! The
sports complex itself is a nice addition to the
community but a huge money pit, not the profit-
generator she claimed it would be. She also supported
bonds for $5.5m for road projects that could have been
done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing.
While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and
her office redecorated more than once. These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small
city.
As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a
budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this
surplus in technology that will make us energy
independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she
proposed distribution of this surplus to every
individual in the state.
In this time of record state revenues and budget
surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond
for road projects, even while she proposed distribution
of surplus state revenues: spend today's surplus,
borrow for needs.
She's not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open
to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought
ideas that weren't generated by her or her staff. Ideas
weren't evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of
who proposed them.
While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our
highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian
refused to consider removing from the library some
books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied
to the defense of the City Librarian and against
Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People
who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her
enemies list to this day.
Sarah complained about the "old boy's club" when she
first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A
new set of "old boys". Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as
Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced,
obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely
loyal--loyal to the point of abusing their power to
further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State's top cop
(see below).
As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla's Police Chief because he"intimidated" her, she told the press. As Governor, her
recent firing of Alaska's top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she
had every legal right to fire him, but it's pretty
clear that an important factor in her decision to fire
him was because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-
husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse
of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the
person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her
ex-brother-in- law. She tried to replace the man she
fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for
sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she
withdrew her support.
She has bitten the hand of every person who extended
theirs to her in help. The City Council person who
personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council
became one of her first targets when she was later
elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City
Administrator; even people who didn't like the guy were
stunned by this ruthlessness.
Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from
saying anything publicly about her.
When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political
plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and
Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in
Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no background
in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this
great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining
in the press about the high salary. I was told that she
hated that job: the commute, the structured hours, the
work. Sarah became aware that a ember of this
Commission (who was also the State Chair of the
Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the
job. In a gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned
her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she
hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the
patron saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the "old boys' club" when she dramatically quit,
exposing this man's ethics violations (for which he was
fined).
As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone
for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has
castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the "bridge to
nowhere" after it became clear that it would be unwise
not to.
As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and
budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display
of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored
most of these projects--which had been vetoed simply
because she was not aware of their importance-- but with the unobservant she had gained a reputation as"anti-pork".
She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The
State party leaders hate her because she has bit them
in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the
party object to her self-description as a fiscal
conservative.
Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school
with Sarah. They call her "Sarah Barracuda" because of
her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness.
Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories
circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to
be made point guard on the high school basketball team.
When Sarah's mother-in-law, a highly respected member
of the community and experienced manager, ran for
Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.
As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put
together of package of legislation known as "AGIA" that
forced the oil companies to march to the beat of her
drum.
Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the
loss of sea ice is linked to global warming. She
campaigned "as a private citizen" against a state
initiative that would have either a) protected salmon
streams from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the state (depending on who you
listen to). She has pushed the State's lawsuit against
the Dept. of the Interior's decision to list polar bears as threatened species.
McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President;
Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President. There has to be literally millions of Americans who are
more knowledgeable and experienced than she. However, there's a lot of people who have
underestimated her and are regretting it.
CLAIM VS FACT
*"Hockey mom": true for a few years
*"PTA mom": true years ago when her first-born was in
elementary school, not since
*"NRA supporter": absolutely true
*social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT
vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to
employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconstitutional) .
*pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to promote it.
*"Pro-life": mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down's
syndrome baby BUT declined to call a special
legislative session on some pro-life legislation
*"Experienced": Some high schools have more students
than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more
residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative
experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a
city administrator to run town of about 5,000.
*political maverick: not at all
*gutsy: absolutely!
*open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.
*has a developed philosophy of public policy: no
*"a Greenie": no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of
big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-
drilling off-shore and in ANWR.
*fiscal conservative: not by my definition!
*pro-infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and
park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or
storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.
*pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents
*pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla's history.
*pro-labor/pro- union. No. Just because her husband
works union doesn't make her pro-labor. I have seen
nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro-union.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
First, I have long believed in the importance of being
an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years
I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you
google my name (Anne Kilkenny + Alaska), you will find
references to my participation in local government,
education, and PTA/parent organizations.
Secondly, I've always operated in the belief that "Bad
things happen when good people stay silent". Few people
know as much as I do because few have gone to as many
City Council meetings.
Third, I am just a housewife. I don't have a job she
can bump me out of. I don't belong to any organization
that she can hurt. But, I am no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will cost me
somehow in the future: that's life.
Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was
one of the 100 or so people who rallied to support the
City Librarian against Sarah's attempt at censorship.
Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else
was afraid to say anything because they were somehow
vulnerable.
CAVEATS
I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for
the increase in spending & taxation 2 years ago (when
Palin was running for Governor) from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of
Wasilla, and I can't recall exactly what I adjusted
for: did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible for a private
person to get any info out of City Hall--they are
swamped. So I can't verify my numbers.
You may have noticed that there are various numbers
circulating for the population of Wasilla, ranging from
my "about 5,000", up to 9,000. The day Palin's
selection was announced a city official told me that
the current population is about 7,000. The official
2000 census count was 5,460. I have used about 5,000
because Palin was Mayor from 1996 to 2002, and the city
was growing rapidly in the mid-90's.
Iowa Democrats to Honor Senator Mike Connolly
By Helene McGee, Dubuque Leader, August 1, 2008
Dubuque Area Democrats and Party leaders from across the
state will come together Friday evening, 15 August to say
"thank you" to State Senator Mike Connolly, who is stepping
down after 30 years in the Iowa Legislature. Former
Governor Tom Vilsack will head the guest list, and be
accompanied by former First Lady Christy Vilsack.
Others attending to honor Connolly will be Senate Majority
Leader Mike Gronstal, Senate President jack Kibble, former
Speaker of the House Don Avenson, current Speaker Pat
Murphy, State Representatives Pam Jochum, Ray Zierkelbach,
and Tom Schuller, candidates Chuck Isenhart and Tom
Avenarius, State Senators Roger Stewart and Tom Hancock,
former State Representatives Rick Dickinson, Tom Jochum, Bob
Osterhaus, and Paul Scherrman, Dubuque Mayor Roy Buol, and
Dubuque County Democratic Chairman Terry Stewart.
The event will begin with a 6:30 pm cash bar reception
followed by dinner at 7 PM at the Grand River Center, 500
Bell Street at the Port of Dubuque.
Senator Connolly announced last fall that he would retire at
the end of 2008. He has chaired the Education, State
Government, and Rules and Administration committees, and
served as Assistant Senate Leader for the last eight years.
He served ten years in the Iowa House before being elected
to the Senate. Connolly taught in the Dubuque Community
Schools for 30 years, 20 at Dubuque Senior High School. He
and his wife Martha have two children, Maureen and John.
Pam Jochum, on behalf of the Dubuque County Democratic Party, is organizing this tribute to honor Mike's service.
Tributes to Sister Dorothy. Sr. Dorothy was a dedicated Democrat. She attended Central Committee meetings, helped at Headquarters during the election season, and she and her sibling, Sr. Gwen, also a Franciscan, regularly canvassed door-to-door. She will be missed. - Walt Pregler. April 2008.
Dubuque Barakstars
(High School Students), Port of Dubuque. Click here to view. (Picture contributed.)
Caucus talk is a Science. Your success in sending the right message to the right people before and at caucus time is achieved with passion, honesty, relevancy and your ability to break through at your caucus. The more tailored your message to the folks sitting around a living room or in a church social hall, the better the response rate. The better the response rate, the greater your caucus' impact. With state-of-the-art web and communication technology, it still is all about this: intelligent deliverability and believable directions are your professional partners for total caucus success. Besides, democracy is really a lot of fun. December 2007.
The last three months we posted an article
leading up to the Iowa Caucuses, and the scrutiny
that we give the candidates to start the
presidential selection process. We began with six
excellent candidates, and now two remain. Although
the focus has shifted to primary and caucus contests
in other states, the political process is never "out
of season" in Iowa. We had the County Conventions on
15 March, to be followed on 26 April with the five
Congressional District Conventions, 14 June with the
State Convention in Des Moines, and 25 August with
the National Convention in Denver. Delegates
supporting their candidate, and platform issues
affecting every moment of our lives are being
thoroughly considered at each step. If you are part
of these conventions, thank you for your
participation in democracy. Being active in the
process allows you to have some say in how our world
develops.
The conventions are very important to the process,
but they are only part of the whole political scene.
The County Central Committee meets monthly (usually
the second Tuesday night) to transact the on-going
business of the Democratic Party. Sub-committees
with specific tasks meet more often. Some of the
events that occur are fund-raising breakfasts,
sales, dinners, and right now, preparations for
opening our election-year office. When the office
opens, so do many other essential tasks, such as
phone banks, door-knocking, voter registration, mass
mailings, yard signs, and hundreds of other ways in
which volunteers are needed and utilized. There are
many people who you run into that complain about
government, or taxes, or "cronyism", or hypocrisy,
yet they don't vote, or they vote for people who
actually harm the issues they care about. Being
active in our party allows us to strive for a
government answerable to ALL it's citizens. We find
"participatory democracy" quite rewarding in that
aspect.
By being active in the Dubuque County Democratic
Party, we have a personal stake in choosing and
supporting elected officials who will hold high
standards of representation, and act for the benefit
of all of us. A politician once said that he saw his
duty as "Comforting the afflicted, and afflicting
the comfortable." The last seven years of
presidential "leadership" have turned that saying
around, and the "comfortable" have done exceedingly
well, while the other 80 percent of us have
struggled. If you yearn to achieve a government
which taxes fairly, protects the environment,
defends human rights, produces jobs with good wages,
maintains the roads and schools, solves the health
care and fuel crises, provides equal opportunity,
and regains the respect of the world, then we need
your help. Join our quest. Check our constantly
updated calendar below this space (in particular at
this time is our annual HALL OF FAME DINNER on
FRIDAY 25 APRIL). Contact any of our officers. Leave
a message on our answering machine (557-1007).
Attend a breakfast, or volunteer in our office, or
march with us in a parade, or help our candidates.
or write a letter to the editor, or serve on a
committee, or...
Everyone can help, whether the task be complicated
or mundane, and all are needed. See you soon? e are all so proud of our
Dubuque County Democrats: the volunteers, the caucus
captains, the college students (and high
school students), and all the energetic participants. Thank
you, all, for seeing that democracy took a great step
forward. Whew. Now on the regular work for the Dubuque
County Democrats.
Terry Stewart
Chair, Dubuque County Democratic Party
Recent
history: why are the
Iowa Caucuses Important?
Thursday evening, January 3rd, 2008 is
fast approaching. Candidates and their campaigns are in high
gear, pursuing supporters to stand up for them. The
Democratic Party is securing hundreds of caucus sites around
the state, and preparing for a turnout of tens of thousands
of hardy Iowans to go out into the cold mid-winter night and
take a stand for the candidate who best represents their
concerns. Iowa has started the presidential selection
process for more than 30 years. That experience has given
Iowans both the excitement of opening the "selection
season", and the sobering realization that no one else has
the unique opportunity and responsibility of making this
choice. I have heard people say in some general elections
"We have to choose the lesser of two evils!"; or "All
politicians are corrupt, and there's no difference in the
parties." or "Why vote? It won't make any difference!"
In Iowa, none of that has to be true. We
can check the candidates out, up close and personal. We get
to meet them face to face, look them in the eye, ask them
tough questions, compare them to their peers, We get months
to weigh as many factors as we consider important, and make
a thoroughly educated choice regarding the best candidate
for president. And this year, we are amazingly blessed with
half a dozen good Democrats, any one of whom will be a
TREMENDOUS improvement over the current administration.
What's not to like? Giving close scrutiny to these fine
candidates is a privilege that everyone should welcome.
If you have participated in the Iowa
Caucuses before, welcome back. If you are considering it for
the first time, congratulations on recognizing what a golden
opportunity you have to make a difference. Think of it: You
have a hand in choosing the next leader of our nation, and
therefore, how we will engage the rest of the world. Go to
caucus, and help us begin to get our country back on the
road to restoring the rule of law, fighting for our
families, protecting our environment, respecting and being
respected by other cultures, embracing the ideals that we
all know are part of the fabric of our history, and the
pillars of our future. Those might sound like lofty words,
but when we understand the impact our choice makes on the
process, and the results that will be rendered by the 2008
presidential election, words are inadequate to express the
importance of the caucuses.
To find out where you will be caucusing,
look for your precinct caucus site on this website soon, or
watch for the sites to be printed in the Dubuque Leader and
Telegraph Herald, or call the auditor's office or a
candidate's office. Then plan to attend on Thursday, January
3rd to help choose the next president. You can also help
choose the Democratic Party precinct leaders, and submit
issues for inclusion in the platform. It's in your hands.
Choose wisely. And thanks for caring.
Terry Stewart
Chair, Dubuque County Democratic Party
