According to some not-so-quiet rumblings, the Save Our Schools committee in Des Moines is planning to muzzle its most vocal member, Nan Stillians, with an official vote this week making it clear that she does not have a right to speak on behalf of the organization. Between her penchant for openly insulting people and her frequent innuendo-filled mass e-mails, group members say, Stillians has become an albatross to the organization, effectively shooting her own cause in the foot. "Somebody ought to take her computer away from her," one SOS member says. "As far as I'm concerned, somebody could take a hammer to it and we'd all be better off." The SOS members have enough trouble finding common ground with members of the Des Moines School Board, battling over weighty issues like the board's intention to close five of the city's schools, and SOS members complain that nobody feels the need to seriously consider their arguments after Stillians has hurled personal insults during public meetings. "You can't call people names and expect them to tell you 'yes.' It's just insane," our source says. The final straw came when Stillians tossed off an e-mail all but accusing an administrative law judge of being corrupt after the judge ruled against SOS on a legal appeal of those school closings. As a lawyer, SOS member Nelda Mickle was especially appalled by what she considered a serious breach of protocol against the judge; the former Des Moines city attorney and her husband, retired municipal planner Bob Mickle, both threatened to walk. SOS president Linda Westergard, a successful real estate agent, has also threatened to jump ship several times during the past year specifically because of Stillians' tactics. SOS members from various sections of the city have been involved with meetings, fact-gathering and legal challenges to board decisions, but many people in the public have the mistaken impression that Stillians is the SOS ringleader - and that she's the only one doing any work - because she's been so vocal. "Linda has a job, and Nan has the hours to spend at the computer," our source says. "When that's your sole agenda, and the rest of us have a life, then Nan becomes a lightning rod." In a way, Stillians actually serves the interests of the well-connected power brokers she's trying to fight by making SOS look insane, the group member alleges. "The powerful out there want everyone to believe that Nan is SOS, that we all are mini-Nans. And we're not." Her critics within SOS agree that Stillians is a bright woman who means well, but they complain that she's a loose-lipped and angry person who sees conspiracy around every corner. They feel that Stillians - like certain members of the school board - is more interested in being right than doing what's best for kids. What the group wants to tell her, our source says, is this: "You can't keep anything to yourself. You don't put out facts; you put out fiction as facts. You make us look like a bunch of irresponsible nuts, and we can't afford that."

On another front, incumbent Des Moines School Board member Connie Boesen is likely to face a challenge in the upcoming election from Florence Dusek (Flossie to her friends), a woman with a doctorate who teaches in the biology and physics departments at Grandview College. Dusek was an actively involved mom when her kids went through the Des Moines school system. SOS is still looking for a second candidate to support as a replacement for Ako Abdul-Samad, who's running for the state House.

According to a statehouse insider, Senate Republican Leader Mary Lundby, whom many thought was just going through the motions as interim co-leader, has fired a couple staffers and demoted another. Reportedly dismissed from their positions were Marc Elcock and Creighton Cox. Lundby also demoted Senate Republican Staff Director Andrew Warren and promoted Peter Matthes, a former Jim Leach staffer, to replace him.

Republicans plan on shedding new light on Democratic candidate Chet Culver's acceptance of almost $1,000 from former CIETC executive Ramona Cunningham once the primary is over, we're told. Culver has also been pimped recently by media and political types who have had fun with his creative spelling while he served as a lobbyist, including his extensive work for the "trail" lawyers.

Polling numbers spread by the Mike Blouin campaign in order to beef up fundraising in recent weeks may have been bull, but top Democratic national pollster Paul Maslin has done his own research into the campaign to see who will face Jim Nussle in November, and the race, we're told, "is too close to call" - this after a top statehouse source told us it was all but over. Blouin supporters and other top Dems were shown data beginning last week that showed Culver in the lead by a mere 5 points, with Culver at 26 percent, Blouin at 21 percent, Ed Fallon at 13 percent and a whopping 40 percent undecided. "People are watching Blouin's attack ads and listening to what he has to say," we're told.

However, the current battle between Culver and Blouin is just a tune-up for the fight that the Democratic winner will have with the state party after the June primary. The Blouin and Culver campaigns are already grumbling - loudly and publicly - about the Iowa Democratic Party's plans for a "coordinated campaign." The coordinated campaign is supposed to identify likely Democratic supporters and increase the turnout of those voters via absentee ballot on Election Day. Unfortunately, Culver and Blouin have figured out that the state party's lackluster fundraising and underwhelming plans for driving up the Democratic vote in November could doom their chances for victory. Thus, we're told to look for a shakeup in staffing at the state party headquarters soon. CV

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