CLINTON COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY NEWSLETTER

April 25, 2005

http://www.clintoncountydemocrats.org

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THE HALL OF FAME DINNER:  There will be a social hour with a cash bar from 6-7.  Scott County's Senator Joe Seng will provide background music during the social hour.  Dinner will be at 7 P.M. serving family style the famous Frontier fish and roast beef.  Awards and program featuring keynote speaker, Michael Blouin will follow.  We have three very good Democrats running for Congress who will be attending the Hall of Fame Dinner.

Tickets are $25.00.   Please contact County chair, Jean Pardee, 242-8111,

or other Central Committee members to order tickets.

If you haven't received your tickets yet, you may do so by mailing your check made out to the Clinton County Democrats to Richard Kissack, P.O.

Box 1031,  Clinton, Iowa52733-1031.  I'll mail or deliver the tickets to you.

We had the first accounting of ticket sales at the Central Committee meeting last week.  We had passed the 110 mark - well on our way to a goal of 200.  There are still many phone calls to be made by members of the Central Committee.

WHO WILL WIN THE FIRST DISTRICT?

The qualifying heats are being run in the race for the 1st District congressional seat that Republican Jim Nussle is expected to give up to run for Iowa governor in 2006. Political strategists for Republicans and Democrats predict the vacancy left by Jim Nussle could be one of the most hotly contested races in the nation.

The stakes are high for both parties. Republicans want to maintain their 29-seat advantage in the U.S. House and Democrats are hoping to pick up a seat in a district that traditionally votes for the Democratic presidential nominee.  Sen. John Kerry defeated President Bush 53 percent to 46 percent and Al Gore won the district 51 percent to 46 percent in 2000.

Campaign committees for the national parties have the race in their sights.  The 1st District contest will be one of the top races in the country.  Democrats have a real shot at picking up the seat. (James Q.

Lynch The Gazette)

SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY'S TOWN MEETING -

MAY 4

U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley has invited everyone to a Town Hall meeting, Wednesday, May 4 from 7:30 - 8:30 A.M. at the ClintonCountyAdministrationBuilding. It would be nice to have the Democrats well represented as we did at Congressman Nussle's last meeting.  They need to hear from somebody besides their Republican friends.  Not everyone loves George Bush.

IF WE ARE ALONE IN THE WORLD, DO WE REALLY NEED FRIENDS?

"There is a contentious foreign policy debate going on in the Senate.  It concerns the Bush administration's insistence on advancing the careers of John Bolton and others who have failed to make our nation as safe and

secure as it should be.  (Senator John Kerry)

"John Bolton's nomination is just one more outrageous example of how the Republicans are drunk with power.  It is plain common sense to know that you don't appoint the world's leading UN-hater to be UN ambassador."

Quote of the Week:  "I have until now withheld my first -- and only -- impression of John Bolton, probably destined to be the next U.S.

ambassador to the United Nations: He's nuts."Richard Cohen, Columnist, TheWashington Post, April 14, 2005

"ohn Bolton is not the guy you want in charge of building international goodwill.  He has made it his life's work to undermine the UN.  He has bullied intelligence officers who refuse to back his wild claims.  And he's just not very diplomatic - something you would think would be job  requirement number one when naming an ambassador to the UN."

President Bush is consistent.  He clings to a position regardless of reason, arguments, persuasion or data that is provided.  He is obstinate according to Mr. Webster.

ENERGY POLICY

Do we have a shortage of oil?

A lot of folks can't understand how we came to have an oil shortage here in America.  Well, there's a very simple answer. Nobody bothered to check the oil. We just didn't know we were getting low.  The reason for that is purely geographical. Our OIL is located in Alaska, California, Oklahoma and TEXAS.  Our DIPSTICKS are located in Washington, D.C.  (Contributed by a ClintonCounty Democrat.)

"BOTTOM FEEDERS"????

The Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) is the fund that provides retirement benefits for teachers, policemen, firefighters, employees of cities, counties, the State of Iowa, area education agencies, community colleges, universities and members of the Iowa Legislature. The program is funded by contributions from the employees and is part of the benefits package provided by employers.  The fund is well managed and has a successful investment record which is better than most private averages.

Last Wednesday the Iowa Senate was debating a measure making minor modifications to the Fund.  Senator Mark Zieman, REPUBLICAN from Postville, exploded with the following comment: "Most are public workers.

Here they are the bottom feeders out there with their hand out."  Even though under pressure Senator Zieman apologized for his problem with brain - mouth coordination, you can be sure that he expressed deeply embedded feelings.  At least when he demonstrates discrimination he includes a large group of people.  I wonder what he does that is so much more valuable to society than the services provided by public employees.

Hopefully in the next election the voters of AllamakeeCounty can find a representative that doesn't share Senator Zieman's bigotry.