Dave Loebsack Update

[IA_Seth]

I received this email the other day.....

------------------
Please Reply directly to David Loebsack at [e-mail]


Hi, everyone.

I hope all is well. I just want to update you on my "testing of the
waters."


Since I last wrote, I have attended several Democratic events and
spoken
with scores more Democrats and others about the future of the district
and
the future of the country.

As recent polls indicate, Americans are less pleased with George Bush
and
his Republican counterparts than at virtually anytime since 2001. It
is
becoming all to clear to the average American that Bush and his
right-wing
allies are not what America needs now or in the future.

As you might imagine, the Democrats I have met are overwhelming ready
for
change. Democrats in the 2nd district of Iowa know a Republican
majority
in the U.S. House of Representatives serves only the interests of the
special
interests aligned with Bush and his allies in congress. So long as our
incumbent
congressman has an R behind his name, his presence only serves to
maintain
that leadership's power, a power to set the agenda and determine the
outcomes
of the House of Representatives.

It is clear that what we need is someone who will address in a serious
and
consistent manner the issues of most concern to the vast majority of
citizens
in the 2nd district. Those issues include health care, jobs,
education,
and Social Security, among others. With the exception of Social
Security,
we are not even seeing a debate on the possible solutions to the
inadequacies
of our current approaches to these matters.

In the coming days, I will be attending the Hall of Fame Banquet with
special
guest Howard Dean (www.iowademocrats.org) in Cedar Rapids, speaking
with
the Washington and Henry County Democrats, and continuing discussions
with
leaders of various constituency groups in preparation for my time in
D.C.
mid-June to mid-July.

In the meantime, I would like to hear what issues are most critical to
you.
I know, for instance, that many are very concerned about the war in
Iraq,
as I am.
My stepson served seven months in the Marines in Ramadi and I do not
want
to see him return. His spouse, also a Marine, is scheduled to deploy
in
Iraq perhaps as early as August. As the death toll on all sides
mounts,
Americans are becoming more and more convinced that this a misdirected
effort
on the part of the Bush administration.

I will continue to listen to folks as I get around the district and I
will
be making a decision as to whether I enter this race soon after my
return
from D.C.
in mid-July (and the more I talk to folks, the more likely it is I will
do
this). In any case, I have no doubt that we can win this seat. And it
should
go without saying that if we win this seat, we will take back the House
of
Representatives!

As always, I looking forward to hearing from you and please feel free
to
send this message on to your friends, family, listservs, blogs, etc.

Thanks and take care.

David

--
Loebsack Exploratory Committee
P.O. Box 81
Mt. Vernon, IA 52314
Home E-mail: [e-mail]
Work E-mail:
[e-mail]
Home Phone: [phone]
Office Phone: [phone]
Cell Phone: [phone]

[IA_Seth]

1. Dave Loebsack's Bio

All,

Here is a brief bio of Mr Loebsack for those interested...

-----------------------------------------------------
David Loebsack Biography

David Loebsack was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa. He graduated
from East
High School in 1970 and attended Iowa State University where he earned
a
bachelor’s degree in 1974 and a master’s degree in 1976. He then
attended the
University of California, Davis where he earned his Ph.D. in political
science.

David is married to Teresa Loebsack. Terry has taught second grade in
Mt.
Vernon for the past 28 years and is a member of the Iowa State
Education
Association. Between them, David and Terry have four grown children.
David’s
older daughter Jennifer is a graduate of Beloit College is now a
project
assistant at an architectural firm in Madison, Wisconsin. Sarah is an
LPN at
the Veterans Administration Hospital in Iowa City and soon will be an
RN when
she finishes her studies at Kirkwood Community College. David’s
stepson Marcos
Melendez III and his wife Michelle are both Naval Academy graduates
(class of
2000) and are captains in the United States Marine Corps. Marcos has
already
served seven months in Ramadi, Iraq and Michelle will likely deploy to
Iraq
sometime in the next six months. Madeleine Melendez, Terry’s daughter,
has
attended Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa and now
resides in
Ames, Iowa.

David has taught political science at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon,
Iowa since
1982 and is a member of the American Federation of Teachers. He has
offered a
variety courses ranging from the politics of developing countries to
American
foreign policy. In addition to teaching on campus, David has taken
Cornell
students overseas seven times for one-term courses in China, Nicaragua,
and
Brazil. His independent travel has included a U.S. State Department
internship
in Lagos, Nigeria and several study trips to Guatemala, Costa Rica,
Japan, and
Brazil.

David’s community service has primarily been as community educator. He
has
spoken scores of times on American foreign policy and international
relations
more generally. Nearly all of his talks have been to civic and
community
groups, ranging from local churches to rotaries to library groups. He
has also
served as a moderator for several programs and has been a facilitator
of group
discussions on a variety of issues. Finally, he has frequently been
called upon
by the media, local and national alike, as a recognized expert on Iowa,
national, and international politics.

David has extensive political experience. He has been a Democratic
Party
activist for the better part of the last 22 years. He took time off
from
Cornell to work as a staffer on David Osterberg’s U.S. Senate campaign
in 1998
and traveled across the state for several months. He has worked on
countless
legislative and countywide campaigns. In 2000, he served as a county
and
congressional district co-chair for the Bill Bradley for President
campaign and
attended the national convention in Los Angeles as a delegate for
Bradley. In
2004, he was one of the local leaders for the Howard Dean campaign.
One of the
original leadership group, for the past three years, David has served
as chair
of the Linn Phoenix Club, the political action committee that raises
funds for
Democrats in Linn County running for legislative or countywide office.
Since
its inception, the club has contributed in excess of $100,000 to Linn
County
Democrats, including at least $33,000 in each of the last two election
cycles.


--
Loebsack Exploratory Committee
P.O. Box 81
Mt. Vernon, IA 52314
Home E-mail: [e-mail]
Work E-mail:
[e-mail]
Home Phone: [phone]
Office Phone: [phone]
Cell Phone: [phone]