On the Campaign Trail with Ed Tibbetts

You may have heard already, but several thousand Republicans across the state have received robocalls featuring former Lt. Gov. Joy Corning supporting the same-sex marriage rights.

The call was done for One Iowa, the advocacy group that’s seeking to build support for the ruling.

Here’s the text:

“Hi, this is former Lieutenant Governor Joy Corning. Iowa has a well-deserved reputation for being open-minded and fair. That’s why I’m proud to be a supporter of One Iowa.  Our Supreme Court recently ruled in favor of civil marriage for committed gay and lesbian couples, continuing Iowa’s tradition of protecting the civil rights of all Iowans.  Please join with me to ensure that Iowa continues to move forward as a leader for fairness and equality.”

Of course, the call has turned into a problem for former Gov. Terry Branstad, who’s moving toward a bid for the GOP’s 2010 gubernatorial nomination. Corning was Branstad’s second for eight years and isn’t a favorite with social conservatives.

Bob Vander Plaats was quick to jump on the issue.

Also, the Iowa Family Policy Center says it’s a reminder “why it is such a bad idea to compromise with political figures who do not promote Iowa values,” a not so subtle dig at Branstad.

Tim Albrecht, a Branstad spokesman, tells the Des Moines Register, “what’s remarkable is, despite disagreement on this fundamental issue, Joy is willing to put that aside to support Governor Branstad.” The Register also said, however, that neither Albrecht nor a top aide would say how Branstad would vote if there were a referendum.

And just as I was finishing this post, I see The Iowa Republican has received a statement from the Branstad campaign, which answers that last question.

Here’s the statement:

“Governor Branstad supports the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman and is the only Iowa Governor to have signed the Defense of Marriage Act. He will work to break the legislative roadblock that prevents Iowans from having an opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Should such a constitutional amendment ever be placed on the ballot, Governor Branstad will vote yes on its passage.”

Iowa Democrats are striking back at former Gov. Terry Branstad for criticizing Gov. Chet Culver’s I-JOBS initiative, the $830 million bonding plan the Legislature approved last session.

Branstad said at a Republican fundraiser over the weekend that too much debt is bad and the borrower “ought to be thrown out of office.”

The Iowa Democratic Party issued a news release today saying Branstad borrowed $994 million (in today’s dollars) between 1989 and 1994.

“Branstad appears to be joining the chorus of Republicans who would have done nothing to help our state through this recession,” IDP Chairman Michael Kiernan said. “And in Branstad’s case, that’s not only wrong, it’s disingenuous given his past decisions.”

Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley of Chariton is out of the running for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

This is not unexpected, with ex-Gov. Terry Branstad entering the race.

“As I’ve traveled extensively to all corners of this state in the past few months and visited with taxpayers, business owners and community leaders, I am confident that we are witnessing a real political sea change in Iowa. Senate Republicans will continue to play a major role in renewing Iowa and getting our state back on the right track,” McKinley said in a news release.

Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad’s campaign has signed veteran communications hand Tim Albrecht.

The Branstad committee made the announcement this morning.

“We are excited to have Tim join this campaign,” said Branstad committee leader Jeff Boeyink. “His extraordinary experience in both traditional and new media will be beneficial as we move forward in our efforts. His addition shows growing momentum as Governor Branstad explores a possible gubernatorial bid.”

Albrecht, who ran the Iowa communications shop for 2008 presidential candidate Mitt Romney, also was the top spokesman for Rep. Christopher Rants when he was the speaker of the House.

Lately, Albrecht has run TheBeanWalker.com, a Drudge-like web site devoted to Iowa politics. The release quotes Albrecht saying a new publisher will run the site and will maintain its “integrity and independence.”

Des Moines lawyer Roxanne Conlin apparently is getting ready to join the Democratic field wanting to run against U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

Tom Beaumont of the Des Moines Register has the story here.

Conlin tells the Register it’s “more likely than not” she’ll run.

Already, Bob Krause of Fairfield and Tom Fiegen of Clarence are seeking the Democratic nomination.

There’s been growing speculation a well known Democrat would join the race ever since party chair Michael Kiernan said a high powered “first round draft pick” was waiting to run.

Not sure if Conlin was the person Kiernan was speaking of, but she’s certainly a well known Democrat in political circles, and she does bring an ability to raise money.

Of course, it’s been 27 years since she’s been on a statewide ballot. She ran for governor in 1982 against another familiar pol who appears to be looking to make a comeback next year, Terry Branstad.

Republican candidate for governor Christopher Rants was in about a week ago and he had an interesting observation about Terry Branstad getting into the race. Specifically, he talked about a lack of easily-retrievable articles about the ex-governor.

You want to know something about me, Rants said, and all you have to do is Google my name and there’s a 1,000 articles.

He has a good point. Today’s politics is a lot different than it was in Branstad’s hey-day. Today, opposition research is pretty easy. Google makes it so. Even looking for the really embarrassing courthouse stuff is easier, thanks to the Internet and the increasing willingness of courts to post documents online.

But, as Rants pointed out, Branstad is shielded from some of this because the stories written about his four terms are all pre-Google.

Well, today it looks like Rants is trying to even the scales. He’s added a new feature to his web site — an archive in which he’s scanned “news from the 80s and 90s,” as he puts it.

Don’t expect a lot of stories about Duran Duran, Big Hair or the A-Team.

Rants first article, posted today, is about……yes, Terry Branstad.

The piece, an 11-year-old David Yepsen column in the Des Moines Register, is headlined “Branstad, the liberal governor”.

Rants promises a “blast from the past” every week. I wouldn’t be surprised to see other candidates follow suit. In fact, there are probably a lot of folks visiting their local library to pull copies of old articles to be scanned onto web pages.

Rod Boshart of the Times Des Moines bureau reports that former Gov. Terry Branstad said he’s resigning as president of Des Moines University and will now tour the state exploring a potential bid for governor.

If you were wondering how Branstad was going to string out the inevitable, here’s your answer.

(UPDATE: 3:50 p.m.)

Here’s Rod’s story.

DES MOINES – Former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad announced today he will tour the state exploring support for a bid for an unprecedented fifth term as governor.

The Republican challengers are seeking to take on Democratic Gov. Chet Culver, who is in his first term and has indicated he expects to seek re-election next year. Today’s announcement ends months of speculation that Branstad would return to politics and seek another four-year stint at Terrace Hill as the state’s chief executive.

Turns out the stage won’t belong just to former Gov. Terry Branstad today.

Gov. Chet Culver is launching a new television ad, this on the heels of a meeting with the Des Moines Register editorial board in which he said he hadn’t — and won’t — raise taxes, a not so subtle reminder that Branstad did.

The ad, which the Register reports will run in the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids markets, features Culver looking straight into the camera telling viewers he’s making the tough decision to cut spending (and not “passing the buck” to the Legislature).

He reminds us he cut, his own pay, too.

“I chose tough medicine today to build a stronger Iowa for tomorrow,” Culver says in the ad.

Culver will also be on IPTV’s “Iowa Press” program today.

All this guarantees that, for all the speculation about — and possibly even confirmation — of Branstad’s plans to run for governor, Culver is going to be in the face of Iowans, too, this weekend. And on his own terms.

The only people being crowded out, it seems, are the Republicans already in the race.

Yes, they’re still out there. It just might not seem so today.

UPDATE (11:20 a.m.): One of those Republicans just chimed in on Culver’s new ad. Christian Fong, of Cedar Rapids, says the governor failed to make the tough decision to cut spending the last two years.

In the campaign ad that Governor Culver began airing today he talks about his “choice” to cut spending, rebuild the state and to take the tough medicine of today.   The “choice” Governor Culver fails to mention is his choice to sign budgets over the last two years that have grown state government by a rate that was clearly unsustainable. At the end of the day, ultimately it was Governor Culver’s choices that brought us to this point.  Iowa voters will have a choice next November to choose fresh leadership and I look forward to being that alternative.”

The speculation about former Gov. Terry Branstad’s plans continues today. He’s scheduled a news conference for  this afternoon, when he may — or may not — say he’s going to run for governor.

(It seems a safe bet that he’s in the race. The only question is when he lets us in on the secret).

Adding to the guessing game are a pair of media advisories the Iowa Democratic Party sent out over the last 12 hours.

Here’s what went out from  IDP at 9:30 last night.

What: Iowa Democratic Party Response to Terry Branstad Campaign Announcement

Where: 2501 Grand Avenue, Des Moines

When: Friday – 1:30 p.m. or immediately following the conclusion of the Branstad news conference at Des Moines University.

Here’s what went out 12 hours later:

What: Iowa Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal and State Representative Tyler Olson will provide reaction and response from the Iowa Democratic Party to former Governor Branstad’s decision to join the Iowa GOP primary for Governor.

Where: 2501 Grand Avenue, Des Moines

When: Friday October 16 – 1:30 p.m. or following the completion of the Branstad Campaign news conference at Des Moines University.

Note the change from IDP reaction to an “campaign announcement” (kind of vague) to a more definitive reaction to Branstad’s “decision to joint the GOP primary for Governor.”

You don’t suppose Branstad’s given the Democrats a head start, do you?

Or, maybe they’re just having a little fun with us. Or maybe they’re tired of the guessing game.

Jeff Boeyink, the newly hired head of Terry Branstad’s gubernatorial campaign, just forwarded the advisory from Des Moines University that the ex-governor will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. Friday to make “an announcement related to his future with the University.”

The press conference follows a closed door meeting with students and faculty at Des Moines University.

Nice of him to do that.

Might this be the white smoke we’ve been waiting for?