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Steve King discusses Palin, 2010 election, Christmas Day bomber

December 29, 2009 By

Congressman Steve King (R-Kiron, Iowa) is the guest on this weekend’s edition of “Iowa Press.”  It will air at 7:30 p.m. Friday on Iowa Public Television and again Sunday at 11:30 a.m.  The show was taped late this morning.  (IPTV has posted the video here.)

King said after the show’s taping that the Christmas Day/”underwear” bomber should be sent to Cuba and tried in a military tribunal.

At the end of the program which will air this weekend, King was asked about the field of Republicans who may run for president in 2012.  Here’s the transcript from that exchange:

AP’s Mike Glover: “We’re starting to see the first early signs of Republicans floating through the state, preparing for Iowa’s precinct caucuses. Give me your take on those people who’ve been out front as potential candidates in 2012.  How strong a field is it?  How big will it be? How large?  How active will it be?”

King: “That is a really good question, but when I look at this I think that, I mean, Mike Huckabee, of course, has a really good organization here in this state.”

Glover: “Tim Pawlenty’s been here.”

King:  “And Pawlenty. I don’t know that Pawlenty has an organization like Huckabee’s, although Sarah Palin, of course, is the one that’s got the charisma. She has the momentum.  If she decides to come to Iowa, she has no problem drawing a crowd of tens of thousands would be my guess.”

Glover: “Do you think she’ll run?”

King: “It looks now like, um, who knows? You know, I’ve guessed her wrong before.  I thought she’d made a career decision that would be hard to bounce back from.  It looks like she’s bounced back from it and gone on from there so she brings some extra talent to the table.  Her instincts are good and her philosophy is good.  I think she’s been working on burnishing her foreign policy credentials.  I think we’ll see her in Iowa.”

Iowa Press moderator Dean Borg: “And you think she could win the Iowa Caucus?”

King: “I would say that there are a good number of people that could win the Iowa Caucus and I would put her in the top four or so of the people who would be in a good position to do so, Dean.”

King also said he doesn’t know if he will endorse a 2010 Republican gubernatorial candidate before the June primary.

“I don’t know.  I really don’t know,” King said. “I’ve looked across this field…and boy, they’re good people and so I’d like to see ‘em fight this out because it tests their vigor and their tests their ability and it also shapes the policy for Republicans that’ll be matched up against the policy that’s been set by Governor Culver. I think Governor Culver is wobbly.  I think that he is vulnerable…Iowans have been pretty good about granting people who are good public servants extra terms in office…but I think this is the time.  I think there will be a Republican governor and there are many reasons for it and the budget is the biggest reason.”   

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Filed Under: Congress, Iowa Caucuses, Politics Tagged With: , , , , ,

John Norris confirmed to FERC

December 29, 2009 By

The U.S. Senate last week (on Christmas Eve) confirmed Iowa native John Norris as a member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.  Norris resigned as chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board about a year ago to follow his wife, Jackie Norris, to Washington.  Jackie Norris served as Michelle Obama’s chief of staff until this past summer.  (Jackie Norris had been Obama’s Iowa campaign manager for the general election.)

John Norris has a long history in Iowa politics, dating back to Jesse Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign in Iowa, as well as Tom Harkin’s 1992 presidential campaign.  John Norris worked for Congressman Leonard Boswell and for Tom Vilsack when Vilsack was Iowa’s governor.  Vilsack is now the nation’s Secretary of Agriculture and Norris has been serving as Vilsack’s chief of staff.  He’ll now leave that post to go to FERC.

Here are the statements FERC issued after the senate vote confirming Norris:

Chairman Wellinghoff:
“We at FERC are pleased and excited to welcome John Norris to the Commission, and we are looking forward to his tenure with us. John brings to FERC a wealth of experience, talent and knowledge that will help us to meet the challenges of providing reliable, efficient and sustainable energy for consumers.”

John Norris:
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and work toward ensuring open and fair energy markets in which consumers, retailers and wholesalers can have confidence. We face many challenges as we chart the course for America’s energy future. The FERC will play a critical role in meeting those challenges, including minimizing the impact changes will have on consumers, ensuring adequate investment in upgrading and building new infrastructure and meeting our nation’s goals for reducing CO2 emissions. “I am humbled by the trust and support I have received from President Obama, Senator Reid, Chairman Bingaman, Senator Murkowski and the Members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. I look forward to getting started and making myself accessible to all our citizens in carrying forth my duties and responsibilities to this great country.”

John Norris Biography:
John Norris is currently serving as Chief of Staff to Secretary Tom Vilsack of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Prior to joining the USDA, Norris served as Chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) from 2005 to 2009. As a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) he worked on the Electricity Committee and was Co-Chair of the 2009 National Electricity Delivery Forum. He served as a Board Member, Secretary and President of the Organization of Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) States as well as Chairman of the MISO Demand Response Working Group. He also was a member of the FERC/NARUC Demand Response Collaborative. Norris was on the Board of Directors of the National Regulatory Research Institute, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Iowa Power Fund and served on the Advisory Councils of the Iowa Energy Center, the Financial Research Institute for the University of Missouri College of Business and the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research at the University of Iowa. In 1999 and 2000 he was Chairman of the Iowa Electric Restructuring Task Force while serving as Chief of Staff for then Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. Norris also worked for U.S. Representative Leonard Boswell (IA-3rd) as Boswell’s Chief of Staff from 1997 to 1998. From 1989 to 2003 he owned and managed a restaurant in Greenfield, Iowa and he was State Director of the Iowa Farm Unity Coalition during the Farm Crisis of the 1980’s. Norris graduated with distinction from the College of Law at the University of Iowa in 1995 and received his undergraduate degree in 1981 from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.

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And the stationery closet goes to…

December 28, 2009 By

The state’s governor and lieutenant governor ran together, as a team, for the first time in 1990 (in the same way the president and vice president do).  Don Avenson, the Iowa Democratic Party’s eventual gubernatorial nominee that year, chose JoAnn Zimmerman as his running mate.  She was the state’s lieutenant governor at the time and abandoned her own campaign for governor late in the primary campaign after Avenson promised he would choose her as his running mate, if he won the primary.  He won; he chose her.

Terry Branstad, a Republican, was serving as governor at the time and he chose state Senator Joy Corning as his lieutenant governor/running mate for the 1990 election.  The Branstad/Corning ticket won in November and, in early 1991, the governor’s physical office in the statehouse had to accommodate the new lieutenant governor.  A first-floor closet that had been used primarily for stationery and other office supplies was converted into an office for the lieutenant governor and her secretary sat at a desk right outside the closet/office.

When Tom Vilsack was elected governor in 1998, he figuratively and literally elevated his lieutenant governor (Sally Pederson) when he took office in January of 1999.  Pederson was given an office on the second floor and it looks bigger than the governor’s formal office, although I’ve never been able to confirm the square footage.   When Chet Culver took office in January of 2007, he gave his lieutenant governor (Patty Judge) the same spacious office.

During the Vilsack and Culver administrations, that old Joy Corning office on the first floor was occupied by a succession of communications directors/press secretaries.  There are too many to mention. 

The last communications director to occupy that space is/will be Erin Seidler, Culver’s communications director.  A statement from Culver press secretary Troy Price this afternoon confirms Seidler will be moving out of the office, in favor of space that’s more “centrally located” in the governor’s space in the statehouse.  The entire Culver communications staff is relocating to the bunker, er, the “central location” in the office.  Here’s how Price put it in an email to the Iowa press corps:

We (the Culver communications staff) are moving into a central location within the office, and administrative staff will move to our current location in room G-9.  This move will better utilize the space within the office, and ensure that constituents who come to room G-9 seeking services from our office will have the proper staff there to answer questions.

The closet/office historically has been characterized by abysmal heating/cooling, poor lighting and — until recently — you could tell how much demand there was for bacon, hamburgers and other grilled food items at the nearby cafeteria by the aromas permeating the air in the office.  The statehouse cafeteria relocated in the past couple of years, so the smell is gone.  Seidler will be, too, by the end of the week.

The new occupant of the Joy Corning Memorial Stationery Closet will be Jon Murphy, Culver’s liaison to the federal government.

Filed Under: Politics, State Government Tagged With: , , ,

Culver appoints Finance Authority chief to head DED

December 28, 2009 By

A news release from the governor’s office announces the new, full-time director of the Department of Economic Development has been leading the Iowa Finance Authority.  Read the announcement below:

GOVERNOR CULVER ANNOUNCES MILLS AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, O’HERN TO LEAD IOWA FINANCE AUTHORITY

Begins government reorganization by moving housing program from DED to IFA

DES MOINES  — Governor Chet Culver continued his efforts to reorganize state government by making two new appointments for key government positions.  In addition, the Governor took further steps to streamline state government by moving a key housing program from the Department of Economic Development to the Iowa Finance Authority.

Brett MillsThe Governor announced today Bret Mills, currently the director of the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA), as his choice to lead the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED).  Mills replaces current interim director Fred Hubbell, who has served in the position since September.  Replacing Mills at IFA will be Joe O’Hern, who has served as interim deputy director of IDED for the last three months and as deputy director of IFA before that.

“First of all, I want to thank Fred Hubbell for his service and providing the necessary leadership to the Department of Economic Development,” said Governor Culver.  “During these difficult economic times, we need strong leadership at both IDED and IFA, and there are no better choices for these key positions than Bret Mills and Joe O’Hern.  They have worked tirelessly on behalf of Iowans throughout their careers, and I want to thank them for their service.  With our team in place, I am confident that we will work our way out of this recession and build a brighter future for Iowa.”

“I look forward to this opportunity with the Iowa Department of Economic Development and working closely with Governor Culver to attract new economic opportunities to the state and create quality good-paying jobs for Iowans,” said IDED Director Bret Mills.

“I am excited to return to IFA in this new position and facilitate the transition of the HOME program to this agency to assist the Governor’s efforts to make state government more efficient,” said IFA Director Joe O’Hern.

The Governor also announced today that he is jumpstarting his efforts to streamline and reorganize state government by moving the HOME program from IDED to IFA, which is the state’s lead agency on housing issues.

“Since taking office, I have worked hard to make state government more efficient, and more effective,” said Governor Culver.  “That is why I am moving the HOME program from IDED to IFA, which is where it belongs.  This not only will help streamline our housing efforts, but it will ensure that IDED is staying true to its mission: attracting new businesses, growing current companies, and retaining and creating jobs statewide.”

The transfer of the HOME Investment Partnership program to IFA from IDED is scheduled for the spring of 2010 once IDED has announced the 2010 HOME awards and upon the written designation by Governor Culver to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  The measure is being taken to consolidate key federal housing resources in one agency which will not only ease and speed the administration of the programs but also provide a one-stop shop for affordable housing project sponsors.  47 states co-locate the HOME program with the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), administered through IFA, in order to gain these efficiencies as LIHTC projects commonly include the HOME subsidy to close financing gaps.

HOME provides formula grants to states and localities that communities use – often in partnership with local nonprofit groups – to fund a wide range of activities that build, buy, and/or rehabilitate affordable housing for rent or homeownership or provide direct rental assistance to low-income people.

ohern200A native of Clay County in northwest Iowa, Bret Mills was appointed Executive Director of the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) on Feb. 11, 2005.  Mills originally joined IFA as Chief Financial Officer on Jan. 17, 2003. Prior to joining IFA, Mills worked in the State Treasurer’s office for 15 years, the last nine of which he served as Deputy State Treasurer.  He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa, and a B.S. in Accounting and an M.B.A. from Drake University.  Mills is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the Iowa Society of Certified Public Accountants. Mills served in the Iowa National Guard from 1984 to 1990.

Joe O’Hern has worked tirelessly on housing issues throughout his career. Prior to joining IFA, O’Hern served as a Regional Director for the Department of Housing and Urban Development administering housing and infrastructure programs and as a Lead Director for Fannie Mae covering four Midwestern states including Iowa. O’Hern joined IFA in 2007 first as the Director of HousingIowa and then became the Deputy Director in 2009. He is a native of Barnum, Iowa and received his B.A. from Princeton University.

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Weekend update: “incarcerate, educate & medicate”

December 26, 2009 By

‘Tis the season to post on the blog sporadically.  Below are some of the top Iowa political stories of the past few days (you have to scroll all the way to the bottom for an explanation of that headline!).

In case you were making a list and checking it twice, there is another potential candidate for governor.  Jonathan Narcisse, a former Des Moines School Board member who went on a speaking tour with Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Rants earlier this month, is “exploring” a run for governor.  Narcisse is a registered Democrat, but Narcisse says he’ll consider the idea of running as an Independent as well as the idea of running against  Democrat Chet Culver, the current governor, in a primary.  Narcisse sent reporters an advisory at 4 p.m. on 12/23/09 and held a news conference at 8:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve.   (I didn’t “work” on Christmas Eve; I hosted dinner for 16 at my house instead.)

As expected, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) voted “yes” and U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) voted “no” on the health care reform bill on Christmas Eve.  The White House released a list of people President Obama called after the vote; it included Senator Harkin. Read statements from Iowa’s two senators below.

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Behn drops out of governor’s race

December 22, 2009 By

State Senator Jerry Behn, a Republican from Boone, becomes the third candidate to drop out of the 2010 race for governor.  Read the news release below.

Behn exits GOP gubernatorial primary, endorses Branstad

(BOONE) – State Sen. Jerry Behn, candidate for governor in the Republican primary, announced today that he is leaving the race and endorsing former Governor Terry Branstad.

“My passion for this state is just as fervent as it was the day I began my first campaign for the Iowa Senate,” said Behn, who announced his run for governor earlier this year. “In visiting with scores of individuals across the state, there is no question that Iowa must do better with regard to job creation, the state’s budget and education. While I believe I could have made a real difference in these areas as governor, I am stepping aside to focus on electing Terry Branstad as our next Governor.”

Behn, who farms in rural Boone County, was elected to the Iowa Senate in 1996.

“I believe now, more than ever, Iowa needs a chief executive who comprehends the enormous opportunity we have to reform state government.  I put my full support behind the campaign of Governor Branstad,” said Behn.

Branstad welcomed the support of Behn as a sign of the growing momentum in his campaign’s organization.   He says Behn will be instrumental in developing solutions to the challenges the state faces.

“I look forward to working with Jerry as we discuss the ideas and tools needed in order to lead Iowa’s comeback,” said Branstad. “Jerry’s assistance and guidance will be valuable to our campaign as we continue advancing a conservative, pro-economic development agenda.”

Senator Behn thanked all those who came out to hear him during his campaign.  “I especially want to thank all of those Iowans who said they would support my candidacy,” concluded Behn.

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David Barton endorses BVP2010

December 18, 2009 By

I saw David Barton, president of WallBuilders, in 2007 at an event in West Des Moines, Iowa.  Barton was endorsing Kansas Senator Sam Brownback at the time.  He conducted a slide show/forum for Brownback supporters & potential Brownback supporters in the ballroom at the Glen Oaks Country Club Clubhouse.  Now, in late 2009, Barton is back in the Iowa political arena, endorsing Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats.  Read the news release below.

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Two top GOP leaders on TV this weekend

December 18, 2009 By

The guests on this weekend’s edition of “Iowa Press” on IPTV are House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen of Hiawatha & Senate Republican Leader Paul McKinley of Chariton.  The show airs tonight at 7:30 and is rebroadcast Sunday at 11:30 a.m.

I asked the two men whether they would vote to do away with any of the state’s tax credits.  Their answers are in this Radio Iowa story.  (Condensed version: they’re “open” to the idea of killing some, but not ready to list which ones — not even the controversial tax credit for filmmakers.)

Last week’s show featured two labor leaders — AFSCME Council 61 president Danny Homan and Janice Laue of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.  You can watch it here.  Here’s the Radio Iowa story, focusing on what Homan and Laue had to say during the show about the state’s tax system.

The highlight of the show was when AP’s Mike Glover asked Homan what kind of relationship Governor Chet Culver, a Democrat, has with organized labor.

“We work with the governor and his staff every day. Our relationship is what it is,” Homan said.  “I mean, at times it’s difficult.  At times it’s cooperative. I think it’s a relationship that will be improved, hopefully — can be improved, hopefully.”

Listen to all of the exchange by clicking on the following audio link:  HomanOnCulver

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A 4.5 hour public hearing on state tax credits

December 16, 2009 By

A handful of the governor’s state agency directors sat at a table in the Urbandale Public Library this afternoon as more than 100 people sat or stood for the four-and-a-half-hour-long public hearing on state tax credits.  I stood in the room for nearly three hours, listening to the testimony, then I drove back to the newsroom to write a story.

The subject matter was/is heavy, but there were a few light moments during the hearing.  For example, Dave Roederer of the Iowa Chamber Alliance (a former aide to Terry Branstad when Branstad was governor) joked that if you ran the state like a business, there’d be just two agencies:  the Department of Revenue and the Lottery — because those are the only revenue-generating parts of state government.

Fred Hubbell, the acting director of the Iowa Department of Economic Development, joked with Tammy Shutter of the Iowa Motion Picture Association as the lights went down in the room so everyone could see the screen on which her power-point presentation would be shown.  “I hope this was locally made,” Hubble quipped. Shutter said yes, it had been made in the IMPA’s office in the East Village of Des Moines.

Governor Culver’s roster of agency directors questioned Iowa Business & Industry Association president Mike Ralston for what seemed like the longest period of all those who testified.  Ralston, as you may know, was director of the Iowa Department of Revenue during Governor Vilsack’s tenure.  “What do I have to say to make you quit asking me questions?” Ralston joked as Hubbell started to ask another question of him.  The crowd had been sitting quietly for nearly three hours by this point and laughed heartily for a brief time before the questions and answers turned back to the serious subject at hand.

You may read the “State of Iowa Agency Reports on Tax Credits” here.  That volume of information was released earlier this week (when I was on vacation).

Tammy Shutters, program director of the Iowa Motion Picture Association, began her testimony when hour two of the hearing began. Listen to Shutters presentation.   She spoke for almost nine minutes, then Department of Cultural Affairs director Cyndi Peterson asked Shutters about the tax credits available in other states.

“If you look at Michigan, which is the other state that has seen a lot of growth in recent years, they offer a 40 percent tax break and then if productions go to core communities…then you can get an additional two percent.  Iowa’s program was the most generous,” Shutters said. “I mean, I think that we really wanted to make a mark.  We were very assertive, very competitive and it got us attention and it was bringing the programs here.  New Mexico has a 25 percent tax break.  Louisiana has a 25 percent investor tax break and then they have multiple other tax incentives…so there’s a lot of ways that you can work this.  You know, I think when we say it needs to be competitive, you know, there’s lots of ideas.  I mean, ideas that we have thought of is that you have a beginning tax incentive and kind of, like Michigan, you set a parameter for how much on-the-job training, OK? Then, add another five percent…so it can be graduated.”

In response to another question, about an upfront audit that might be done of applicants for the film tax credits, Shutters said: “We think that we can be more picky with awarding these tax credits to these productions and to look at that upfront audit and measure: these people are committing to training this many Iowans, hiring this many Iowans and spending ‘x’ amount of dollars in this state.”

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A few weekend left-overs

December 7, 2009 By
  • An Iowa native is at the center of the controversy involving Montana Senator Max Baucus.
  • Congressman Steve King (R-Kiron, Iowa) made a trip to Afghanistan.  King got back to D.C. this morning.
  • U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-New Hartford, Iowa) tweeted about being stuck in D.C. for the senate’s health care debate this weekend.
    • 3Times 2009 missed being in Iowa Jan Feb and now Dec bc of Wkend sessions of Congress Lots of Work to get done howevr b4 Christmas
    • 7:48 AM Dec 6th from txt
    • Bc Congress in Session on Sabbath I’m attending my Woodlawn Baptist Ch in NoVa instead of CFalls Prairie Lakes Baptist in Iowa.7:43 AM Dec 6th from txt

First in line.

  • The Sioux City Journal’s Bret Hayworth counted the number of people who got Sarah Palin’s autograph yesterday.  Radio Iowa’s coverage is here, here, here, here, here and here.   Below is a picture of Moville, Iowa residents who camped out overnight so they could be first in line to meet Palin. They are, from left to right: Daylon Stapp; his mother, Leisa Stapp; Schuyler Rilling and his mother, Cindy Rilling.  The picture was snapped as the quartet waited at the front of the line, about 45 minutes before Palin arrived.
  • The Republican Party of Iowa has a new executive director.  The following news release was issued at 3:30 p.m. Saturday:

Chairman Strawn Welcomes Executive Director Jim Anderson

Des Moines, IA – Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn today announced Jim Anderson was confirmed by the Republican State Central Committee as the party’s new executive director. Anderson comes to the Iowa GOP from the Republican National Committee in Washington, DC, where he served as the RNC’s Deputy Political Director.

“Iowa Republicans are poised for sweeping gains in 2010 from Terrace Hill to local offices. We are fortunate to have someone of Jim’s talents joining our effort to bring competent and principled government to the people of Iowa,” said Strawn.

“I appreciate the trust placed in me by Chairman Strawn and Iowa Republicans. Iowans are rightly frustrated by Governor Culver’s failed leadership, and I’m ready to work with our candidates and grassroots activists to advance the Republican agenda with victories next November,” said Anderson.
Prior to serving as Deputy Political Director at the RNC, Anderson worked in Iowa in 2008 as part of the RNC’s Victory campaign and previously served as an appointee of President George W. Bush in the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Treasury. Anderson is a native of Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania and a graduate of James Madison University.

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