Attempts to smear Blouin fail, though

An investigation last summer into a program that is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture through Iowa State University and run under the umbrella of The Greater Des Moines Partnership turned up nothing, according to the Iowa State professor, Wolfgang Kliemann, who ran the audit. A source had been trying to tie gubernatorial candidate and former Partnership head honcho Mike Blouin to the misappropriation of funds of the MATRIC Program, which is funded by the USDA (at the urging of Sen. Tom Harkin) for the benefit of farmers around Iowa, by stating that Blouin pushed for the grant money to be used to pay for projects not tied to MATRIC, including lobbying trips to Washington for the Partnership and helping ease strains on the bottom-line at the Partnership after 9/11. "A whistleblower contacted the sponsor (USDA) and made various allegations," Kliemann told Cityview. "We looked into them and came to the conclusion they were not correct." Kliemann said that using federal funds to lobby federal officials is against the law, and his group investigated whether or not the Partnership had used MATRIC money for traveling and lobbying expenses to the nation's capital, but had not investigated any claims of misappropriated funds. A source close to Blouin called the people involved "politically desperate."

Speaking of Blouin, what are the implications for the Democratic Party of the dust up going on between Polk County Supervisor John Mauro and the backers of a PLA for the new county jail? Plenty, labor insiders have told Cityview. Despite their public pronouncements, people who are close to gubernatorial candidate Blouin are trying to get Mauro, who is close to Blouin's campaign, to acquiesce. But Mauro, who has never feared labor or anyone else, isn't going to change his mind because his lawyers insist that - based on a letter from the Republican feds - a PLA would mean the new jail wouldn't be able to house federal prisoners, and it's that money from the feds that makes the whole $68 million jail deal work out financially for the taxpayers. Blouin, so far, has a lot of county support. "But if the unions hold a rally to protest the actions of the majority of the board of supervisors, you know Chet Culver, Patty Judge and Ed Fallon will all be on the stage," a Polk insider told us. "And this won't just involve the Building Trades. If it goes this far, you're going to see AFSCME and the other unions joining the Trades. So you tell me where Democratic candidates are going to be." The infighting could also impact Democratic Party fund-raising efforts, we're told. The Central Iowa Building Trades have already declined to purchase tickets for the Polk County Fall Fundraiser and are unlikely to buy any tables at the state party's annual Jefferson Jackson dinner.

Rumors continue to circulate that Polk County Recorder Tim Brien will face a tough test for re-election in 2006. Calls are being made by local and state party members to get a well-known and financed candidate to challenge Brien, who is said to be at odds with many of his fellow recorders across the state. According to our source, there are disgruntled employees both current and past that are targeting Brien. "It will be tough to remove a well-known politician like Brien in a position as unexciting as recorder. However, these folks are recruiting young and energetic candidates for this year's run against (Brien)."

Local Republicans are also getting in on the act of recruiting candidates and are said to be placing a big target on the back of Polk County Chairman Tom Hockensmith. His East Polk area is becoming more Republican with all the new development, noted a GOP strategist. And Hockensmith is said to have taken bad advice about the upcoming annexation in Pleasant Hill, and now many of those residents are steamed at him.

No heat in Des Moines City Council races, so we look west: West Des Moines City Council incumbent Loretta Siemen is in trouble, a fellow councilmember told us, for the private meetings she had with Wal-Mart about supporting the lengthening of the behemoth's new Jordan Creek area store's hours, and for supporting the cutting of funding for West Des Moines youth activities. "She has raised more than $50,000 for a little ward race and it's mostly come from developers and downtown Des Moines types," our source said. Ryan Anderson, one of Siemen's opponents, is said to have raised some $20,000 so far and has attracted some big-time suburban politicos to go door-to-door with him.

Leonard Boswell tried to sneak back into the hospital unnoticed last week, and what was general support for the long-time Democrat is slowly becoming a party irked. Increasingly, bigwigs think he should gracefully retire and collect his various pensions so they can settle on a candidate and go after Jeff Lamberti, we're told.

Terse note of the week to the Des Moines Register newsroom: "Reporter Frank Santiago has retired from the Register, effective today." It was from Randy Essex, to Des Moines Newsroom, subject: Staff Announcement... "Tom Vilsack. President '08" bumper stickers are starting to pop up around town... And lastly, the West Des Moines hospital issue is about ready to jump back to the front burner. No word yet, though, on whether Des Moines will stay out of it. CV

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