Although 'best man' Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller's endorsement seems hollow

Supporters of gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver were quick to make light of Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller's backing of his opponent Mike Blouin last week - stating that Miller (who was Blouin's best man at his wedding) has backed the winner in only two of his last nine endorsements - but still, top Democratic officials are starting to wonder if Culver has peaked too early. "Chet is perceived as a fundraising machine," a top state insider told us. "But look inside the numbers and over the same period when they have both been running, they are running neck and neck." Culver has raised almost twice as much as Blouin (and six times as much as Patty Judge and 10 times as much as Ed Fallon) and has about twice as much cash on hand. "Chet has been running for eight years," this individual said. "Mike's been in the race for six months. He's obviously gaining. And when you have 95 percent of all legislators and one statewide official (Miller was also Blouin's college roommate at Loras) endorsing him you can expect the numbers to tighten up." Not to mention, our source said, "Vilsack can say Mike isn't his guy all he wants, but Mike's his guy." Our source said that we can bank on two things happening in the near future: "First, the Washington money Big John Culver has been raising is going to dry up because the race is a toss-up. And second, Christie Vilsack will endorse Blouin sometime in February."

Culver officials, meanwhile, point to the most recent polling that shows Culver way ahead and their campaign's cash raised and cash on hand as proof that the race is Chet's to lose. "They keep trying to position Blouin as the next Tom Vilsack, but while nobody knew Vilsack when he first ran - just like Blouin - Vilsack didn't start out with a position (pro-life) that 60 percent of primary voters have a problem with," a source close to Culver said. "Add to it that all the unions do is just shoot themselves in the foot anymore and Blouin is a Partnership Democrat (wink-wink) and people get turned off. Democrats don't want a race between Nussle and his clone in a Democrat's clothes." When we asked a Nussle insider who the Congressman would rather face come November, this person said, "The Democrat."

A union official has told us that Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy has stuck his bulbous, red nose smack dab in the middle of the Culver-Blouin fight, penning poison letters to labor folks about how Blouin should not be their choice. Kennedy, our source said, is working at the behest of Big John Culver, but should "stay out of our family affair." Said a Blouin insider who wondered aloud how any Kennedy would feel comfortable reaching out to union members whose leadership includes the likes of James Hoffa: "The senator needs to keep his pants on and his eyes on the road."

Democrat Geri Huser is starting to get some run again about possibly taking on Tom Hockensmith for his Polk County Supervisor seat. Huser, who is persona non grata with fellow donkeys in the Iowa House after voting last session to move the bill that allowed for the specious Ankeny DOT deal to take flight, is, we're told, "being treated like Fallon after he supported Ralph Nader instead of Al Gore." Huser, one Polk insider told us, would "cream" Hockensmith. So with no pull at the capitol, what is holding back Huser from trying to switch positions? Well, other talk has Huser being placed on a Blouin ticket for Lieutenant Governor of Iowa if Blouin were to capture his party's nomination. Heavyweight Ed Skinner (Huser's father), we're told, is backing Blouin after initially supporting Culver.

Bob Farinella wasn't given the option of staying on as president and general manager of Prairie Meadows, a source close to the casino's power structure told us. Cityview reported last summer that Farinella's days were numbered there, "But the board was waiting for a good opportunity to pull the trigger," we were told, and an expansion that looked to be some $20 million over budget was it. Former Polk County Supervisor and current Prairie Meadows Board Chairman Jack Bishop will replace Farinella on an interim basis. A top Polk official, however, told us that the board has a perfect "puppet" in Bishop and that "I wouldn't count on the search to be too aggressive. There's been too much tension at the top. They need someone they can control. The toughest decision Jack has made in the past 30 years was bacon or sausage."

After being spotted dining with Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Eric Witherspoon last week, former school board member Laura Sands became a hot topic as a possible candidate for the troubled board again. Sands and the much-despised Witherspoon were thick as thieves when she was previously on the board, S.O.S. operatives have pointed out in their e-mail campaign to "Save Our Schools," stating that "since Marc Ward ran again, Sands must be thinking she can, too." However, she likely will not. Sands was humiliated in an Iowa Senate race by Brad Zaun and has a plush job for the Iowa Association of School Boards, which she would have to give up if she were to run.

In other Zaun news, the state senator and former Urbandale Mayor has been pressing Graham Gillette to run against Matt McCoy for his senate seat, but Gillette says, "Don't hold your breath." CV

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