Culver should just wink; King should just shut up
“Well, first of all, I can’t wait till next week,” Chet Culver said on public-television’s “Iowa Press” last weekend. “As I’ve said quite often recently, you know, governing is really tough and difficult. Campaigning is fun.”
Governing was particularly tough and difficult for the governor last week. He was the big loser when the Racing and Gaming Commission — all five of whose members were appointed by him — stuck their collective thumbs in his eye and voted down three of the four requests to put new casinos in the state. Only Lyon County, which can reap in big dollars from neighboring South Dakotans, got a license.
That wouldn’t be political news except that Culver had written the commission a letter urging that all four applications be approved. The commissioners read it — and ignored it, proving that they are truly an independent board. There are ways a governor can effectively and persuasively get his views across to independent boards — a small dinner at Terrace Hill with a member or two, a cup of coffee in the basement of the Capitol, a conversation at a noisy football game, a quiet beer with the chairman — but writing a public letter isn’t one of them.
The governor might want to read up on the life of Martin Lomasney, an old Boston pol. “Never write if you can speak,” Lomasney said; “never speak if you can nod; never nod if you can wink.” (The governor could have asked about Lomasney last week when he went to Boston for a fund-raiser — instead of going to the funeral of his pal and mentor Ed Campbell. Lots of Democrats will never get over that snub.)
The Fort Dodge people were too clever by half — or too clumsy by whole. Their campaign contributions to Culver were less than artful and, legal or not, will be in the headlines during the coming campaign as a “special prosecutor” looks into them. Packing a commission meeting with city workers wasn’t the brightest idea, either. And then making a late unannounced deal to buy the Emmetsburg casino at a rich price from the Gary Kirke interests — conditioned on Fort Dodge getting approval — was an acknowledgement of sorts that a Fort Dodge casino would all but wreck business in Emmetsburg. That didn’t seem to sit too well with the commissioners, either. (When a guy called Skinny last week and told him about the deal, Skinny was skeptical. But the guy proved to be right, as usual.)
The commission said it won’t reopen the question of gambling for several years, but it’s possible there will be a new majority in two years — or it could be sooner, if precedent is any guide. The five commissioners serve for three-year terms. Chairman Greg Seyfer was just reappointed for three years, but the terms of two others expire in one year and the other two in two years. In February of 1999, two months after taking office, Tom Vilsack removed the entire commission — then reappointed two of the members. That was never challenged in court, and it’s unclear whether it would have stood up if challenged. But it’s highly unlikely that either Culver or Branstad would try a Vilsack-like move. ...
Today’s odd fact: Scott Batcher, one of the seven Republicans seeking the chance to take on Democratic Congressman Leonard Boswell in November, voted in the 2008 Democratic Primary that pitted Boswell against Ed Fallon. ...
Today’s second odd fact: The second most vocal member of Congress in the past 60 days was our very own Steve King, who used 83,347 words in the Congressional Record. (Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut was first, with 90,363.) In the past year, King used the word “health” 2,068 times.
Today’s third odd fact: Someone keeps track of the stuff in today’s second odd fact. ...
Today’s we-doubt-this-will-ever-happen prediction. A political blog in The Atlantic lists eight persons who might succeed Rahm Emanuel when and if he leaves as chief of staff to President Obama. The eighth name on the list? Tom Vilsack. ...
Want to know who will be on key boards and in the administration and in the front rooms and back rooms of Terrace Hill if Terry Branstad is elected governor this fall? Take a look at some of the 80 people who were at his Vision 2020 policy gathering in West Des Moines on Saturday. Cedar Rapids up-and-coming conservative Christian Fong was there — some still say he’d be on the ticket with Branstad — and so was wealthy Ames businessman Roger Underwood, who could probably get appointed to any board he was interested in. The Board of Regents might be one, though Branstad backer Bruce Rastetter also would like to be on that post, Skinny is told. (In fact, he gave $25,000 to Culver last go-around — after Culver had won — in the hopes, it is said, that Culver would name him to one of the GOP seats on the Regents; instead, the Farm Bureau’s Craig Lang got the nod. Later, Rastetter gave $100,000 to the state Republican Party.) Retired businesswoman Teresa Wahlert was there talking about economic development — so pencil her for the IDED job. If Marvin Pomerantz is advising Branstad from the grave, Wahlert’s is the name he’s whispering in the candidate’s ear. West Des Moines mayor Steve Gaer was front and center, too, as was Chuck Palmer, former head of the DHS. And, of course, Doug Gross will always be around somewhere. One guy who won’t be there: former press secretary Eric Woolson, who burned his bridges early on when he joined the Vander Plaats team. ...
Back to Culver. If “governing is really tough and difficult,” why is the governor running for re-election? Because campaigning is fun? CV
