Braley runs for re-election
Friday, March 7th, 2008 11:23 am(Posted at 11:35 a.m.) U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley said today he’s running for re-election. Here’s the story I wrote for our web site and an excerpt:
U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, said today he’ll run for re-election, arguing he’s achieved results for the 1st District and that Democrats are best able to bring about change in Washington, D.C.
Braley, a Waterloo lawyer, kicked off his announcement tour at United Neighbors in Davenport with a room full of supporters.He said he had secured $28 million in federal funding for the district, fought for veterans benefits and pushed bills promoting renewable energy and small business.Braley said more work needs to be done, including helping a sagging economy, ending the war in Iraq and expanding health care. Asked about polls that show Congress with low approval ratings, Braley pointed to surveys that say people are supportive of their own congressman. And he said January’s presidential caucuses, which drew tens of thousands of new voters to the party, show Democrats are the party of change.
“People are ready for the politics of hope and opportunity,” he said.
That last quote is interesting. Sounds a lot like Barack Obama, doesn’t it?
Braley, of course, is a superdelegate and he’s still undecided. Might his language offer a clue to his leanings?
The congressman said that he’s still weighing the situation. He said what happened in the 1st District in the January caucuses (Obama won) is one of the factors he’s mulling and so is the debate over Michigan and Florida, which were stripped of their delegates to the party’s national convention for moving up their primary contests.
Iowa is especially interested in what happens with those states because the only thing holding back others from moving into what has traditionally been Iowa’s first-in-the-nation territory is the threat of sanction from the party.
“The postions of the candidates on Iowa’s first in the nation status and what that means to the seating of delegates who broke the rules is an important factor to me,” Braley said today.
Hillary Clinton, who won both states, is arguing against disenfranchising anyone, while Obama’s campaign has said it wouldn’t be right to ditch the rules.
Braley said his opinion is there should be an opportunity for people from Michigan and Florida to participate in the national convention, but only if they admit to breaking the rules and get sanctioned for it. He didn’t say what that sanction might be.