This week's Civic Skinny 02-01-06

[Debi]

Insiders say Blouin source is full of hot air

Gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver dismissed a comment in last week's "Civic Skinny" from a top Mike Blouin supporter that his campaign has "peaked," we were told. "Mike is trying to take a dire situation and create some buzz," a top party official told us. "But it is going to take a miracle for him to make a race of it. Vilsack will need to officially stump for (Blouin) and then a lot of dominos are going to need to fall, too."

<snip>

To that end, speculation has heated up regarding the future of Patty Judge's campaign - and the future looks to be short-lived. Register political columnist Dave Yepsen first reported the grumblings of Judge dropping out after financial reports were released, but we've heard that some actual "reaching out" to Judge supporters and perhaps the secretary of agriculture herself has begun by a handful of Culver backers (But no organized or directed effort by Culver's staff). Judge, you'll recall, told union heavyweights late last fall that Blouin is a "Partnership Democrat who betrayed local workers when he pushed for no PLA for the Iowa Events Center." And Judge has also posed herself as the ideological opposite of Blouin, who is pro-life. "What she'll do, I don't know," said a big-business type. "But she's reasonable. And while she doesn't have much more than big-ag support and maybe some recognizable women behind her, it could be the final nail in Blouin's coffin."

On the other side of the race, nearly 80 percent of Bob Vander Plaats' campaign contributions (some $600,000, although Vander Plaats announced on his Web site in December he'd raised more than $1 million) came from 10 Northwest Iowa families, with the candidate ponying up a $200,000 loan and the Wells and Van Wyk families writing checks totaling close to $300,000. "Clearly Bob's strings are being pulled by two elite families, and he really has no business being in this game," a top Republican said. Still, we've heard Vander Plaats will not buckle under party pressure and run against Michael Mauro for secretary of state.

<snip>

[IA_Seth]

1. Some good news for a change...

Sounds like if Judge drops and supports Culver Blouin could be in for a real shock. I suppose we will wait to see what comes of it. I can't really imagine Judge dropping and supportiing Fallon, but if she did it would get REEEEAL interesting, wouldn't it?

I am happy to hear that Vanderputz won't back down from Nussle and is intending to stick to it. We can only hope that Nussle bears his fangs early and shows Iowans what a real bloodsucker he is before it's too late!

[Debi]

2. I'm still waiting for Vilsack to jump in

or have his wife endorse like was stated in last week's Civic Skinny. I'm also waiting for the negatives to start against Culver, I know how dirty Vilsack can be and can't imagine he's going to let Blouin go so easy. The whisper campaign will start soon, then the negative talk by the legislative supporters and Unions. I just hope Culver's campaign is prepared.

They did a good job when Blouin attacked on campaign contriubtions:


Democratic candidates spar over contributions

<snip>

Former state economic development director Mike Blouin urged Iowa Secretary of State Chet Culver to return money he received from a Texas car dealer who was fined $1 million for violating federal insider trading rules.

Culver in turn pointed to a contribution to Blouin by a New York executive whose company paid $20 million in connection with a federal probe into its dealings with the Chinese military.

Scott K. Ginsburg, a Sioux City native, is a longtime Culver family friend who contributed $40,000 to the campaign. He was fined $1 million for violating Securities and Exchange Commission rules in the 1990s.

<snip>

Schwartz's company, Loral Space and Communication, was the subject of a federal probe in the late 1990s over whether it violated U.S. rules by selling satellite technology to China.

<snip>

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060131/NEWS09/601310409/1056

Schwartz gave $25,000 and $10,000 to Vilsack's 527 PAC.

[IA_Seth]

3. That's almost funny...

The battle over who is corrupt-er!

Sounds like Blouin was nit-picking a little and should have made sure he wasn't livin in that glass house before he started throwing stones, eh?

[Debi]

4. Eh! The only one who could throw stones is Fallon

With limiting contributions and saying no to PAC money Fallon has GOT to be clean on the fund raising front. Everyone else is going to end up with some skeletons in their closets.

[pstans]

5. That comment reminds me of...

when Russ Feingold first ran for Senate in Wisconsin. He was a huge underground, running against 2 multimillionaires. He did a TV ad showing their huge mansions and then gave a tour of his modest house. He ended the commmercial opening a closet and saying "No skeletons in here."

[Debi]

6. HA! I really like Feingold

I hope he decides to visit Iowa in the next couple of years!

[pstans]

7. Found a link to that ad

It is called Home Movies from his 1992 campaign...
http://www.russfeingold.org/multimedia.php#vintage

[Debi]

8. Thanks! n/t