This week's Civic Skinny - and a little extra jab at Nussle

[Debi]

Blouin's republican support???

The Mike Blouin gubernatorial camp is abuzz with its latest round of fundraising success, although the optimism is guarded, as most of the $400,000 he's picked up is merely "committed" and cannot be delivered until 30 days after the current legislative session is complete (Iowa rules state candidates for governor cannot take dollars from PACs or restricted donors until then). So with 36 days until the primary, that means the Blouin campaign will be forced to take out loans in order to stay competitive television-wise with Chet Culver. "We'll be up as much as Chet," said a confident campaign source. "But we're waiting for the session to end." But are Republican legislators stalling to keep Blouin from getting too cash heavy? A source close to the Jim Nussle campaign told us a few months ago that Nussle would prefer to face Culver (or Ed Fallon) because Blouin could pull some moderate Republicans away from Nussle, who pandered to the extreme right with his selecting Bob Vander Plaats as his running mate and alienated heavy hitters like Jim Cownie and Bill Krause, while making the Bob Ray Republicans nervous by being so extreme. And it's happening. "We have had any number of five-figure checks coming in from big Republicans," said a Blouin source. "That's money we don't have to wait on. But there's a large chunk sitting out there we can't touch." A Nussle insider said the conspiracy theory of Republican legislators keeping the session going so Blouin can't cash in is "a joke." "If Vilsack, who is obviously supporting Blouin, spent a little time here, would be wrapped up. You sound like one of those blogs."

In other Nussle/Blouin news, the Iowans for Tax Relief have been bad-mouthing Nussle as an "out-of-control" spender who doesn't understand Iowa culture. Whether they would abandon Nussle (who has carried the water of a Bush administration that inherited no deficit when Bill Clinton left office and has butchered the bottom line) depends on who he faces. If it's Blouin, we've been told, there could be some quiet support.

<snip>

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From 'The List'

9 Nussle on the boob tube

Republican candidate for governor Jim Nussle launched the election-year's first TV ads this past weekend despite not knowing who his opponent in the race will be. Nussle, who is favored to win in November and has raised the most money, will focus on four issues in his first round of commercials: Education, healthcare reform, renewable fuel expansion and economic development. The campaign did not say when his "How to score hot ass in Washington and still be able to say you are a family man with a straight face" spot would hit the airwaves, however.

:rofl:

[IA_Seth]

1. Thanks for the laughs!

"We have had any number of five-figure checks coming in from big Republicans," Well yeah, I have had any number of fifty-figure checks coming from space men too, it just happens that my "any number" is 0. I mean, come on...1 big check from one big Republican does not a fundraising genius make.

"You sound like one of those blogs." And once again it is proven that people do listen to us crazy people out here on the internets.

HA! And I love the hot-ass commerical joke!

I sure do love the skinny. Do you ever read the column "Rap Sheet"? It's like "Cops" in Des Moines.

[Debi]

2. I should read more of it

Ya know people pan CV as inaccurate and plagarized from the blogs - except it's about as spot-on as the DMR :shrug:

Ya Hear Me Yepsen?????

[rurallib]

3. Gee I hope Nussle's family situation doesn't come up in the campaign

That would be so nasty. I mean almost any man would do the same, ya' know?

:rofl:
:sarcasm:

[pstans]

4. I can see a 527 starting up right now

Divorced Moms for Truth outlining Nussle's sleezy past.

[Debi]

5. DMFT - I like it! n/t

[4dsc]

6. So tell me more

Tell me more about nussle's sleazy past so I can start a forum at the Des Moines Register web forums.. Not to mention, if given the chance, I would like to ask nussle whether or not he's had an affair prior to his divorce..

So do tell me more about nussle's past..

[walk softly]

7. Mr Nussle goes to Washington

there is truth in the rumor that when Mr Nussle wanted to marry current wife, he not only had to get the bride's father approval, also had to clear it with the House Ethics Committee (of course they said yes). Seems like the Mrs. was a highly paid lobbyist for a MAJOR Pharmacuetical Company

[newyawker99]

10. Hi walk softly!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[pstans]

8. From what I heard

Nussle ran for reelection as a "family man", filming commercials with his wife and handicapped daughter. Not long after the election he got divorced and married a lobbyists or staffer. Someone from eastern Iowa might have a better understand of it (Bluzman, ruralib?).

[Hardrada]

9. That's about right. Dumped wife.

Married staffer. Happens all the time. Not politically fatal anymore. Could be a bit embarrasing to him for awhile but he is not embarrased by budgets that have old people eating dog food and cities being drowned.

[walk softly]

11. LOTS OF NUSSLE INFO

I volunteered for Bill Gluba in 2004 and worked hard to beat Jim Nussle. I have lots of info gathered that you might find interesting. Imagine using Art Linkletter to dupe seniors into thinking Medicare Part D was really good for them. Since I'm new at posting to this blog (or any other) I'm learning fast. Anyhow, cannot PM you. If you would like info, sites etc I would be happy to gather together and email to you. The First District needs to accept responsibility for Jim Nussle so I'll help anyway I can.

[IA_Seth]

12. Feel free to post here for all of us...

If you have links to sites, info, etc that you'd like to share regarding Nussle, we'd all be happy to read them.

[rurallib]

13. Please post those sites & info - here is the 'nonussle' blog

very good stuff there:
http://nonussle.blogspot.com/

And to pstans, that's all I have ever heard of the story of the piece of eye candy he married. I sure hope folks make him explain the situation and how Christ approves of it.