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No shirt. No news. Gov. Chet Culver's staff has reacted testily to publication of pictutres of a topless governor competing in a Florida triathlon over the past weekend. After a picture of a bare-chested Culver was posted by CoveringIowaPolitics.com, one of his spokespersons questioned the news value of the picture of Culver entering the water for the swimming leg of the triathlon. Here's his e-mail: Hey James,  We saw you had up a blog yesterday with a  photo of the Governor at the triathlon.   The ...

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Bob Krause, Democratic U. S. Senate hopeful, called Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley “an enemy of jobs for Iowans” because he criticized a proposal to transfer prisoners from Guantanamo to a maximum security prison in western Illinois. Grassley, Krause said, would deny Clinton, which is just 12 miles from the maximum security prison at Thomson, Ill., and has an unemployment rate of 7.7 percent, a share of the 3,000 jobs and $1 billion-a-year economic boost expected from opening the prison.

Culver orders review of tax credits Gov. Chet Culver on Thursday ordered a wide-ranging review of the state’s 30 tax credit programs. The review comes in the wake of the suspension and criminal probe of the state’s film tax credit program. Problems with that program and the state’s tight budget situation have brought calls for curbs on the state’s tax credit programs. A report by the Iowa Department of Revenue predicts the state’s tax credit liabilities could total more than $566 million by fiscal ...

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Iowa Gov. Chet Culver delivered a somber budget lesson to school board members from across the state Thursday, but argued financial constraints offer a historic opportunity for reforms. Culver said the state has to change the way it looks at funding schools and find more efficiencies and cost savings. “I believe now is the time to challenge this state to rethink education,” Culver said. “From pre-school to college, the old ways of doing things are no longer an option.” Declining state revenues forced ...

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By James Q. Lynch The Gazette The Democratic candidate in a special election in a south-side Cedar Rapids Iowa House district has raised outraised her Republican opponent by a 21-to-one margin, according to state campaign finance reports. Kirsten Running-Marquardt has raised $43,115, according to a report filed with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board covering the period up to five days before the Nov. 24 election. Running-Marquardt spent just $31.60 leaving her with $43,083 cash on hand. Republican Josh Thurston raised $2,000. He’s spent ...

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More than three dozen Iowans are heading to Texas to rub elbows with action movie star Chuck Norris Friday evening. They’ll also be contributing $5,000 per couple to Bob Vander Plaats’ campaign for the Republican nomination for governor. Norris, who has endorsed Vander Plaats, offered to host an event for the Sioux City businessman at his ranch at Navasota, Texas, about 30 miles south of College Station. Vander Plaats spokesman Eric Woolson said about 40 people are expected to attend. Vander Plaats is ...

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By James Q. Lynch The Gazette Sen. Tom Harkin is lending his support to a proposal to move terrorism detainees from Guantanamo to an Illinois prison. He sees no security concerns and expects that as many as 20 percent of the 3,000 jobs at the northwest Illinois prison could be filled by Iowans from the Clinton and Quad Cities. The Iowa Democrat told reporters Thursday he has to learn more about the proposal and the maximum security prison at Thomson, Ill., but sees no ...

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DES MOINES – State education officials are highlighting gains made in closing the so-called “achievement gap” between minority and white students detailed in a report made public Wednesday. The 2009 annual Condition of Education report showed Iowa schools are making advances in reading and math in the fourth and eighth grades, especially by minority students as measured by standardized test scores. “We still have achievement gaps, but we are beginning to close these,” Iowa Department of Education Director Judy Jeffrey told members ...

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Capitol Briefs New H1N1 deaths reported State public health officials reported the deaths of two more Iowans from the H1N1 virus, bringing the total to 21. Both were adults and had risk factors that increased the chance of complications from the virus. The latest deaths were in Floyd and Johnson counties. Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Health say the most common risk factors that occurred in Iowans who have died were pulmonary/respiratory conditions, immune-compromised conditions such as cancer, neuromuscular conditions, diabetes or ...

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The Iowa Democratic Party will provide a today a live stream of the annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner Saturday night. It will be available at www.iowademocrats.org/live starting at 6:30 p.m. Speakers include Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Tom Harkin, Gov. Chet Culver, Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, and U.S. Reps. Bruce Braley and Leonard Boswell.  

By James Q. Lynch The Gazette   First District Rep. Bruce Braley scolded critics of the possible move of terrorist detainees from Guantanamo to a federal prison in northwest Illinois near the Iowa border for failing to inform themselves about the proposal. “Rather than engage in political fear mongering, I did what my constituents elected me to do,” Braley told reporters. “I drove to Thomson, Illinois, where I received an extensive briefing from representatives from the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, the ...

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Voters in Iowa House 33, which covers much of southeast and southwest Cedar Rapids, will be able to cast ballots Saturday from 8 until 5 p.m. at the Linn County Auditor’s Office. Cedar Rapids residents may also vote in the city council run-off election Saturday. A special election is being held to elect a replacement to Rep. Dick Taylor, a Democrat, who resigned. Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 24. The candidates are Democrat Kristen Running-Marquardt and Republican Josh ...

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A picture of a bare-chested Gov. Chet Culver entering the water during a Florida triathlon over the weekend has been removed because the event sponsors, State of Mind Sports, Inc., said it had not released the photo for publication. Following the lead of Iowa’s longest-serving governor, Gov. Chet Culver appeared in public shirtless over the weekend. Like Gov. Terry Branstad, who fished bare-chested in 1996, Culver entered the water leg of a Florida triathlon wearing a swimming cap and trunks. The aide said ...

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Just over half of Americans believe health-care reform would do more harm than good and disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president, according to a University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll released today. The national poll showed that 52 percent of Americans disapprove of Obama's performance, while 48 percent approve. When asked about health-care reform, 52 percent said government action would do more harm than good, and the remaining 48 percent supported change. Conducted Oct. 23-31, the phone survey ...

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By James Q. Lynch The Gazette Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley today questioned Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to try terrorist detainees in a New York court and said he opposes moving detainees from Guantanamo to Midwest prisons. "I think it brings legitimacy to terrorism that they have the constitutional rights of every other criminal in America,” Grassley said in a conference call with reporters. “They have more constitutional rights as terrorists in our courtroom in New York than our own soldiers putting their ...

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Iowa Republicans are calling on Democratic congressmen, 1st District Rep. Bruce Braley, in particular, to oppose housing Guantanamo terrorist detainees in northwest Illinois near the Iowa border. Fourth District Rep. Tom Latham, an Ames Republican, plans to introduce the “Keep Terrorists Out of the Midwest Act,” Thursday to block the transfer of the terrorist-detainees to Iowa and other Midwestern states.  Latham’s “Keep Terrorists out of the Midwest Act” was prompted by news that the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Ill., has emerged ...

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DES MOINES – A judge has handed a victory to filmmakers seeking a court order to force the state to issue film tax credits to their project. Iowa Eye Entertainment sued the Iowa Department of Economic Development when the state’s film tax credit program was suspended. They say the suspension of the program postponed production on their film “Clean Out,” which was set to include actors Harvey Keitel, Elliott Gould and Timothy Dalton in its cast. The petitioner in the lawsuit wanted the ...

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DES MOINES – The Iowa Supreme Court’s chief justice issued an order Tuesday limiting the hours clerk of court offices around the state are open to the public as a way to deal with reduced staffing. Chief Justice Marsha Ternus’ order will have clerk’s offices in 23 counties operate on a part-time basis because of layoffs. Under her order, reduced hours will begin immediately in Adams, Ringgold, Taylor and Wayne counties. The other counties going to part-time hours will begin December 11. They ...

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WINDSOR HEIGHTS – The state’s Environmental Protection Commission took no action Tuesday to try block a composting facility in Johnson County from receiving a needed permit, despite objections from a neighbor. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources initially denied a renewal of a solid waste composting permit issued in 2005 to Stone Hill Soils because the company had not yet completed construction on the facility during the three years the permit was valid. The company appealed that decision to an administrative law ...

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Former U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt of Missouri, who served as a leader in the U.S. House and has been a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, will discuss the elements of broad-based health care reform on the next edition of Iowa Press on Iowa Public Broadcasting.  The program will be broadcast at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 20and 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The program also will be broadcast on IPTV WORLD (.3) at 9 a.m. Saturday and will be available online at www.iptv.org.

Ali Glisson, who previously worked for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, has been hired as communications director for the Iowa Democratic Party. Glisson, originally from Tampa, most recently worked as communications director for the Lawton Chiles Foundation in Tallahassee, promoting children’s health and education issues. She managed the Clinton campaign’s online web presence in a number of states, and helped raise money and recruit volunteers. Glisson has also worked with the Florida Democratic Party.

Democratic Senate hopeful Bob Krause is calling for Congress to address tiered unemployment pay in order to reduce pressures at the margin for more layoffs. Under his plan, if a job that was considered a full employment position last year drops to 20 hours per week, partial unemployment compensation would kick in. When job hours fall below a certain level, employers often lay off employees so that they can at least get full unemployment benefits. Krause said his approach stretches unemployment compensation ...

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“Pie in the Sky? No!!” a seminar on developing campaign web pages and blogs for Democratic women candidates, will be offered at 10 a.m. Nov 21 at the Cedar Falls Public Library, 524 Main St. Lynda Waddington of Cedar Rapids, founder of the blog esssentialestrogen.com, and who extensive campaign experience, will show participants the good, the bad and the ugly that can come with being a politically active woman in the Internet age. The free seminar is sponsored by the Democratic Activist Women’s ...

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Iowa Poll results showing him with an 8 percent lead over Democratic Gov. Chet Culver underscores the public’s “complete lack of confidence” in the incumbent’s policies and leadership skills, according to 2010 Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bob Vander Plaats of Sioux City. The Sunday Des Moines Register poll also dispels claims by former Gov. Terry Branstad’s campaign that he’s the only Republican who can defeat Culver. Branstad also leads Culver in the poll.  “The Iowa Poll reflects our growing momentum and Iowans’ complete ...

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JOHNSTON – Two Iowa casinos have agreed to fines for admitting people who should not have been allowed inside. The Catfish Bend Casino in Burlington was fined $20,000 for admitting an underage female who played a slot machine and was served an alcoholic beverage. A security supervisor questioned her identification and discovered she was underage. The Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque was fined $3,000 for admitting a person who had signed up for the voluntary self-exclusion program. The program was created as ...

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