Jim Nussle wanted to avoid the type of divisive primary that has been haunting Iowa Republicans for years, a top Republican source told us. "Depending on the year, Republican neighbors have a wall or roses between them. It's exhaustive, expensive and we always lose." So when Jim Nussle settled on Bob Vander Plaats - despite there being no love lost between the two - it truly was for "the good of the party." "Jim kept hearing over and over again that we need to avoid a nasty primary, especially one which would keep Northwest Iowans at home. He kept hearing about unity and bringing all Iowans into the fold," this person said. "The answer was pretty clear: Bob Vander Plaats." And while the Sioux City businessman was busy attacking Nussle on his lack of Christian virtues (sending his finance adviser to Carroll just a few weeks back, who openly criticized the congressman in front a group of people so nastily that a columnist there wrote of it), Nussle was busy vetting Vander Plaats, we have been told. Why? Well, an internal campaign poll done by Nussle showed his group three things: 1) He didn't need a woman on the ballot; 2) Nussle does well with independents and conservative Democrats; 3) Northwest Iowans would rather stay home than vote for Nussle. "Jim didn't want to repeat '02 (Doug Gross versus Vander Plaats) where it got extremely divisive and cost the party a shot at Terrace Hill. Throw Vander Plaats onto the ticket, and that problem is solved." In fact, our source said, internal polling done since the announcement shows that Nussle has received a significant bounce. "The far right, evangelical conservatives are the hardest-working group of volunteers our party has," another top GOP official told us. "That's pretty evident when a no-name like Vander Plaats almost gets the gubernatorial primary to convention last time around. We couldn't afford to have two conservatives butting heads. If Nussle was a moderate squish, and Bob Vander Plaats got on board, conservatives would have been livid and flown off the handle. If Nussle had picked a pro-abortion running mate, it would've been the same deal." Then there's the donor faction of the party, our source pointed out. They fund the efforts that conservative volunteers carry out. Donors are often over-looked as well, but conservatives don't think they are. They both view each other as a constant threat, because big money is moderate and conservatives are fringe. Conservatives blame big-money donors for the Gross primary victory. Donors blame conservatives for staying home on both the Greg Ganske and Gross races. "It's a delicate balance between the two," this person said. "Look at Bill Krause. He leaves (Nussle) and cuts off the money and anti-gambling conservatives cheer. It's the Republican Party. It's profit battling the pulpit. So, like each other or not, it makes sense."

Chet Culver's selection of Patty Judge to be his bride in the June primary election ended up costing him the AFSCME endorsement, we've heard. AFSCME has had numerous problems with Judge and her office and had planned on staying neutral in the primary - being almost evenly split on Culver/Blouin. Culver's decision also probably cost him every other union in the state with the exception of ISEA and IAMAW.
The latest TouchPlay rumor at the Capitol is that the vote count to remove the machines completely is stalled at 40 in the House.

Despite strict rules against any member of the Iowa Utilities Board getting involved in partisan political activity, Chairman John Norris can't seem to stop mucking around in political business. Recently, he's been spotted at planning meetings for Patty Judge (when she was running for governor), Denise O'Brien (a Democratic candidate for Secretary of Agriculture), Sen. Evan Bayh (a Democratic presidential wannabe), and at recruitment meetings for a Democratic candidate in the fourth congressional district. Those are all big "no-nos" that could get him into trouble with Senate Republicans when he's up for confirmation, and could get him into legal hot water, too.

Expect the Des Moines School Board to be fixated on Eric Witherspoon's replacement for the immediate future, although it looks to be a smokescreen. The board will be hard pressed not to give the job to second in command Linda Lane - if she wants it. "She has been a good Witherspoon soldier, and they have praised her repeatedly," said a top school official. "She is qualified and well respected. It is hers for the taking." More importantly, our source said, Lane has been nothing but loyal to Witherspoon and she is invested in all that the board supports. "They can conduct their so-called national search, but (Linda) will get the job if she applies," this individual added. "Does this mean she should get the job? If you are looking for change in the district, the answer is probably no. But if you think all is swell in Des Moines Schools, you have to support her. This board thinks things are swell." The only two who could oppose her are Dick Murphy and Jeanette Woods, but our source told us we may never know, because the vote likely will be held behind closed doors. CV

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