Vilsack @ Demo State Convention

Lt Gov Sally Pederson is in a cadence about how Vilsack has "been there" on a number of issues, perhaps an attempt to address those who complain he’s not here.

They’re playing "Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet" as the music for TV’s ehtry into hall.  Interesting music for someone who has just a few months left in office. Perhaps it’s about that presidential run.

Crowd sits.  Vilsack behind mic: I’m TV and I’m proud to be a democrat.  and i’m extraordinarily proud to be here on what is an extraordinary opportunity for our state, our nation  B4 I talk, there are a few pepole to thank.  For last 8 years I’ve given a lot of speeches.  My life-partner, Christie has been at a lot of ’em.  We promised one another we wouldn’t make a big deal of each other in public, but today is a special day for me, a day of reflection…to thank the love of my life for her passion, belief in party…Thank you honey.  (Crowd stands.) I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my political partner.  For last 8 years SP has been everytyhing you could ever ask of a LT gov and a friend.  She has been there.  She continues to be the conscience of our adinistration.  Chair of party — to a point where we have historic opportunity.  Thank her for 8 years of dedicated service to us.  (Crowd stands and applauds.)  To my good friend Rob Tully…Rob has been an extraordinary friend and it’s great to have him here today.  Just two more thank yous.  Thank my staff.  A group of dedicated, hard-working individuals…proud of what we’ve accomplished.  (crowd claps)  Last but certainly not least, let me thank each of you.  You are the lifeblood of the D party.  You are the power and the energy of the D party.  You are the people who strive for a better IA and a better nation, who believe in the goodness of all of us.  You believe in a proud and secrure and safe place for families and commuities.  You are here today because you believe in each other and you believe in values and ideals of party and for last eight years you have sustained the 3 of us .  I consider each of you a family member.  I owe each of you a debt of gratitidue…Let me begin today by thanking you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have done for me.  crowd applauds.  When we began this journey together 8 years ago, I remember going to Marshalltown, Iowa.  It was one of the first campaign events and as often the case for someone whose name was confused with a pickle or some other product not many people showed.  I walked in and realized there was this wonderful statue of man holding a child.  You’d think he’d be holding it to protect child, but this work of art was about the future.  This man was holding the child out — showing the child a future.  I thought about that statute today as I prepared my remarks.  We made a promise to the people of Iowa..that we would give our children a strong start, to make sure our schools had great teachers, to support higher ed and while there were some bumps along the road, I am here today to say we kept that promise to the childeren of our state.  we made the promise eight years ago that we would be do everything to expand access to health care.  today, as a result of our efforts, over 98,000 chidlren in HAWK-I or expanded Medicaid.  We made a promise and we kept that promise.  We made the same promise to seniors and to vets and to families struggling to make ends meet.  We said health care is indeed a right and should never be considered a privilege like the other folks think on other side of town today.  We said there were ways to imnprove our environment and we could take steps to improve.  We made that promise and we have kept that promise  We worked extraordinarily hard to ensure that state govt support for job creation didn’t lead to, as it used to, to low-pay, low-benefit jobs.  Values Fund, etc.  We now today have a record number of employed Iowans…$20 an hour with full benefits.  We made a promise and we kept that promise.  We made a promise and we kept it.  Energy stuff — We made a promise to our farmers and we have kept that promise.  We had extraordinary help.  We had help from an AG who is among the finest people I know in politics and without question the finest AG in US.  Without his fight against the tobacco companies we would not have had the resources to rebuild the state….everyoe owes TM a debt of gratitutde.  We had help from our Treasurer, longest-serving in US and without question the most creative and innovative in US.  When budget times were tough and we had to find resources it was MF that had ideas so we didn’t reduce our committment to Medicaid, the people who needed hep most.  We had help from our Sec of Ag who worked with us to make sure fuels were future for family farmers and now we have PJ as the next LT gov of our state.  We had help from an extraordinary group of legislators…have led us to the promised land today,.  They were also with us and they are now poised to take control and bring Iowa where it needs to be  We had help  from our D friends in Congress — Harkin & Boswell — just yesterday we had the ribbon cuttig ceremony on largest single transportation project in state’s history — the Avenue of the Saints and both of them were instrumental  And we had help with a Sec of State who decided it was important and necessary to give young people an interest in, a passion about politicis  Our Sec of State and our next gov Chet Culver.  We have changed the landscape of our state  We have built a strong foundation but there is more work to do.  There is an historic opportunity that many have lived a lifetime to see.  For Ds to have the reigns of power in the House and the Senate and the governorship.  Let me tell you about the wonderful day after 42 years.  Raising minimum wage; expanding health care access.  renewable fuels.  clean up environemnt.  You need to vote Democratic and when you do you can begin to change the face of this state…and make this state more prosperous and compassionate and you will be able to say with D control that every child in this state, will have a safe place to go to school and learn.  You also have an historic opportunity to change the face of America — congressional races — with one or two pick-ups in Iowa we can change the make-up of the House of Rep and put a big red Stop sign to George Bush and his cronies in Washington DC.  Speaking of cronies, will you give me permission to talk about JN for just a minute?  You know, I watch commercials and I read the paper and I pay attention to this race.  I have a little interest in it.  I care about the 3 million people that make up our state.  We want to make sure that whoever we put in office that they’re honest with us that they talk sense to us and whatever they say they do, that they don’t say one thing one place and then when you’re not around do something completely different.  a person who did that was called a hustler when I was a kid.  I want to talk for a second about the Nussle Hustle.  When you have an ad and you portray yourself in fire fighter garb — these are people who deserve our respect and support and resources, when you dress yourself up, you are saying you  support fire fighters but when you go to WDC you reduce homeland security which reduces support — you are involved in the Nussle Hustle.  (clapping.)  When you put on a beautifully produced ad that you’re all for world class schools and then you go to WDC and you don’t vote to support NCLB funding and you find 55 ways to cut education, you are involved in the Nussle Hustle (crowd joins in words Nussle Hustale).  It didn’t take Iowa teachers very long to figure that out.  When you tell folks that you’re all for health care and then you vote and create presciption drug program and you vote to cut Medicaid, you are involved in the Nussle Hustle  When you say to the farmers of the state and all of us who are concerned about energy independence that you are a big supporter of ethanol but then you do something that even united me and JRLightfoot — JRL said JN turned his back on Iowa farmers — you’re involved in the Nussle H
ustle.  But I’ve got to tell you, the one that really gets me is the one we’re engaged in now with the newest round of tv commercials.  This is Mr. Clean, we’re told.  This is a man who is outraged at corruption and cronyism.  Where was the moral outrage with Tom Delay, Scooter Libbey, Duke Cunningham, Where were you JN?  Where were ya?  (Crowd stands and applauds)  So, my friends, do not let your friends and neighbors be fooled.  Go back to the 99 counties, all 4 corners of our good state and make sure everyone knows about the Nussle Hustle because we’re not going to get hustled in November.  Now my father in law used to say you can’t beat somebody with nobody and I want to talk about why we’ve got somebody.  I want to talk about my friend Chet Culver, I’ll tell you something you may not know.  When CC talks about children he wants to hold that child out too, to take it to the next level and guarantee teacher promises are kept.  That is the promise he is making and he will keep it,  CC knows how fortunate he is to have health insurance but he knows too many don’t have it and he will expand it so we can have a day when every man, woman and child in this state has healch care coverage.  That’s worth fighting for.  He and his partner PJ will focus on renewable fuels so we’re not just a national leader but a world leader.  We want to be the international leader in renewable fuels.  He is the man and this is a team that cares deeply about all of the people of this state.  He has a deep and abiding love for this state.  My friends, fellow Democrats, you have an historic opportuity.  We have worked so hard for this day…to give the people of Iowa the govt they deserve, that they can be proud of.  This is our day and our candidate is the next governor of the great state of Iowa — Sec of State and soon to be governor Chet Culver.