In the wake of last week's news regarding President Bush's Iowa visit for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle (which now actually appears to be unlikely - see "The List"), Democrats were excited that a presidential candidate of their own would be stopping by the Hawkeye State: Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack. "We wanted Hillary, but it's nice to have (Vilsack) here," a top party official told us. "He's logged tons of time in India and Indiana, and now he thinks it's time for Indianola, too." Vilsack, if his national tour allows, will stump for Democratic candidates in an unofficial capacity, quietly. Vilsack supports Mike Blouin as his successor and has been heard telling everyone who asks him about the former IDED Chief, "Shhhhhhh!"

The Bluegrass Courier (Lexington, Kent.) reported that Clinton "War Room" generals James Carville and George Stephanopoulos were weekend guests of Iowa Democratic Party poobah Jerry Crawford for the Keeneland Thoroughbred Auction. The paper's political columnist Beau Longstreet wrote: "Neither Stephanopoulos nor Carville is a horseman, and Crawford, who has two promising two year olds in the Spring meet, doesn't drink. So it's clear the meeting was a political insider event. Either the War Room boys were trying to get the influential Iowan off his hometown dark horse (Tom Vilsack), or Crawford was bargaining jockey-talent for his favorite son's race to the White House. Odds are they struck a conditional deal. If Vilsack doesn't poll well before the Iowa caucus, look for the Iowa machine to saddle up a horse that Carville can ride."

In other news regarding the governor's national aspirations,WashingtonMonthly.com, which handicaps presidential races, says whispers abound in the nation's capitol that Vilsack is becoming more "realistic" in his approach for the nation's top office, and is using any type of campaign "to secure a top national job should Democrats win in '08." The Web site says Vilsack is too far down to be considered a vice presidential candidate either (will likely go to Edwards again unless he and Hillary swap) so he will focus on Secretary of Education. "The only thing he has to do," a top Iowa Democratic source with D.C. ties told us, "is keep everyone else convinced that we don't absolutely suck at education and he should be golden."

A political development is being hatched with two local politicians who have long felt betrayed by the far right and far left in political parties. Former Des Moines Mayor Preston Daniels has long felt his Democrats ignored the most important issues. While Lee Clancy, the former female Mayor of Cedar Rapids has long felt her Republican comrades have pandered to the far intolerant right. What do the two have in common? Both see a Jim Nussle versus Chet Culver general election as "weak" and are putting plans in place to make a 4th of July announcement of an independent candidacy for a gubernatorial ticket with Daniels on top. "Both see it as a no-lose proposition," a Democratic insider told us. "Even if they do not win, they set the agenda on issues important to them, they keep their names in the media and in people's heads, and they make contacts who can help them each grow their so-called consulting businesses." Culvers folks, we've heard, have offered Daniels a department director position to keep him out, which is appealing to Daniels who has a retirement plan with 14 years in as council member and mayor - but a low salary. Some friends of Daniels say this governor's race is only a ploy to get a real job so he can "get paid." IPERS, our source said, maintains all 14 years would be calculated as if Daniels' paycheck was always at the state department director's salary.

In other gubernatorial news, Ed Fallon (who may also threaten to play Independent spoiler in order to get a few things done) has figured out a way to save money while getting solid press in any number of statewide newspapers. The Des Moines activist has round-the-clock volunteers writing letters to the editor, no matter the subject, that show Fallon in a positive light... "As governor, Ed Fallon would oppose giving our ports to Al Qaeda" and "As governor, Ed Fallon would assure Iowans that it would be dark at nighttime" and "As governor, Ed Fallon would not support pig shit in our water."

One idea bandied about by courthouse types to help the as-yet-to-be-built Polk County Jail pull itself out of the red, we're told, is to turn part of the complex into condominiums. "If the YMCA is looking at using its top floors for river-view apartments, and doesn't care about pushing out the destitute to make it happen, I'm not sure we should give a shit if some cons are inconvenienced by doubling up," a Polk County Supervisor told us.

In other Polk County happenings, a Minneapolis firm, under state supervision, is planning on doing a DNA swab of everyone who works for the county in order to, as one state leader put it, "get a handle on just how many of these people are related to each other." Charges of nepotism persist because of the many ways to spell the name "Mauro," and the discussion reaches a boiling point every time Mike Freilinger's fiancŽ receives a raise (which is running at about once per month). Said Recorder Tim Brien, who is busy finishing up cat and dog tag season, "It all needs to be out in the open. Which is why I still live with my mom and make no bones about it."

The City of Des Moines is going to have a fight on its hands when it votes on abolishing bicycles at Gray's Lake - a sticky issue it has had to deal with before. "Normally we only see one or two collisions a year," said councilman Chris Coleman. "But with this global warming deal, and all of these nice days, we've had three Lance Armstrong types going full force when they slammed into walkers." One group, three obese women walking shoulder to shoulder, did not yield when a cyclist called out "on the left," leaving one woman with heavy rubber marks down her left thigh (a physician for the defense called them "spider veins gone awry"), while two strollers have been sent "skyward," scaring parents half to death who had to watch their infants fall to earth. "Thanks to the general dampness of the area and kids being made pretty tough, there was little damage done," said Parks & Rec. Director Don Tripp. "But if you need to shave your arms and have dental mirrors attached to the side of your bullet-shaped helmet to see what you just flew by, we don't need you at Gray's." Bicyclists maintain they are safe and have all the rights walkers do at Gray's and will fight to keep them. Look for an agenda item later this month.

In other council items on the horizon, a top city official tells us that The Des Moines Register may be in trouble. Sometime ago, the Press Citizen was hauled up in front of the council and scolded about that group's papers being thrown into the resident driveways and front yards and bushes, etc., and the group was almost told to cease delivery of the nuisance publication. But now, we're told, since the daily bought it (and slashed jobs and stuffed it in every nook and cranny it could, while drastically inflating readership numbers) the paper is back to clogging up lawn mowers and blowing from hither to yon. "We want to keep the milquetoast city reporting and them ignoring the backroom stuff that's going on," one councilmember said. "But we have to keep them in line somehow on distribution, or these things just pile up." In related news: Rep. Wayne Ford, who slipped on a Press Citizen near the statehouse, is considering a lawsuit. "Wayne Ford doesn't slip on things," Ford said. "Things slip on Wayne Ford."

Register columnist Rob Borsellino's book, So I'm Talkin' To This Guy, has been a surprise hit for the paper's not-used-as-much-these-days printing press; and not one to miss an opportunity to capitalize, Publisher Mary Stier has commissioned David Yepsen to pen a book about the events of the infamous Mingo bachelor party some 20 years back. The book was tentatively titled, So I'm Blowing This Guy, but the stripper who was involved turned out to be a poor muse for Yepsen. The forward, we're told by a longtime Register official, is by Dick Thornton and Al Sturgeon. "The lower our subscription numbers get, the more we're going to have to explore other printing options and throw things at the wall to see what sticks," our source said. "I mean have you seen this Juice deal? What a bunch of shit."

A frontrunner has surfaced with Des Moines ties according to a key staffer who is helping the Des Moines school district in searching for a new superintendent to replace Eric Witherspoon. The staffer requested anonymity for obvious reasons. The first candidate that will be likely offered the post is former Polk County manager Terri Caldwell-Johnson who is now CEO of Oakridge. Our source stated that she fits the profile that the search committee has set forth to a tee. She is very well-spoken and is not afraid to ruffle feathers in the community. She will also "play ball." Also floating around, according to our source, is that this is a farewell present for Ako Abdul-Samad who is destined to leave for the statehouse.

And lastly, aside from banging Miss America, running RAGBRAI on foot, inventing the Murphy Bed, solving various union problems, catching a Rose Bowl touchdown and considering a run for Congress, East Village business mogul Tim Rypma (the Sunday series of him in the daily, we've heard, is up for a Pulitizer) is now said to be having the honor bestowed upon him of getting a statue built in his honor in the new park at the bottom of the Iowa Capitol. "Knapp, Ruan, Che, this guy is a leader in that mold. Without him, we would not have an East Village," said Iowa State Bank CEO John Burgeson. "And this kid is heavily invested." Rypma could not be reached at his West Glen office where he works "more than Mitch McDeere," we're told. No word yet on whether the statue would have its fly up or down. CV

APRIL FOOLS!

Comment on this story | Return to top