Iowa First District Congressional Candidate Starts Off Strong

[DU9598]

Early numbers appear to show that Democratic Congressional candidate Bruce Braley (Waterloo) has exceeded his initial fundraising goal of $100,000.00 in the first quarter since his announcement - hopefully taking in more than $125,000.00. Over 40 persons donated to his website (thanks DU'ers who helped). Donations are welcome at . The DCCC is extremely pleased with this record setting fundraising from this district. Let's keep the fundraising going.

This seat is going to be a Democratic pickup in November 2006. Each county in this district was carried by Clinton, Gore, and Kerry. Also, Vilsack and Harkin have consistently carried the district. The Democrats are ahead in voter registration - it has a republican congressman only due to incumbency - (Nussle) who was redistricted into the district against a Democrat in 1992 who had problems with the House Banking scandal. It is time to take back this seat and take back the House.

Please consider donating today.

Thanks

[SharonAnn]

1. Yeeeay!!! That's my home town.

I've been gone a long time, but I'll certainly contribute!

[SharonAnn]

2. Done! I'll be watching this race, Waterloo needs a good Democrat

representing them.

[Debi]

3. Again n/t

[Debi]

4. So Nussle won in 1992

Because the incumbant congressman had troubles with the house banking scandal? Or was it because redistricting brought 20,000 more republicans into the district?

Just wondering.

[9119495]

5. I'd say the scandal. The districts are drawn to be relatively equal

except out west where they say a district would be too large to find a dem--but we are favored in the second--but Leach is a moderate. The first and third are pretty equal I think.

[rurallib]

6. Please, please, please Leach is not a "moderate"

He only votes against Republicans when it doesn't count. Just in case you forgot he was one of the deciding votes in the 218-214 vote to pass Nussle's draconian budget bill.
When it doesn't count he throws the liberals in his district a bone.
Reminder: his two best friends are Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. Ever heard of them?
We'll never get rid of Leach with this "he's a moderate" talk.

[9119495]

8. There you go with evidence and logic...where do you live?

Leach is NOT a moderate. However he is PERCEIVED as one because local media say he is one and people are too lazy to research his votes on their own.

If you live in his district, get in touch with the David Loebsack campaign and lets try to defeat Leach.

[Debi]

7. I will disagree

Iowa's third district had more Dems than Reps and the incumbant congressman was the first elected in 50 some odd years and the only reelected, after the redistricting the new second district had 20,000 more Reps than Dems (and Nussle was never truly challenged again).

It's hard for be to believe that a person who had enough guts to stand up to a republican scheme (which is what the house banking scandal turned out to be) would lose for that and not for being thrown into an unwinnable district.

(the new first is pretty equal - but the old third (1982-1992) was hard dem and the old second (1992-2002) was hard rep.)

[DU9598]

9. I disagree Debi, I think ;)

I still maintain that this district is sure to be a Democratic pickup in 2006. A review of Nussle's challengers show that he was consistently vulnerable due to his district until the power of incumbency lead to weak and underfunded opponents, ie, Mr. Gluba.

As a bit of history, Nussle was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1990 in what was then Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. Nussle narrowly defeated his Democratic opponent Eric Tabor by less than one point (1,642 votes) in that race. Nussle again barely escaped defeat in 1992, with a 1.1-point victory over a virtually unknown city council member. Thereafter, his winning percentage was closer to 10%, but he was in republican leadership and all but protected at that point.

Let's pick up this seat in 2006 - the year of the donkey.

[ISUGRADIA]

10. Your history is off a bit if I may (i.e 1992)

In 1992 Nussle barely beat fellow Congressman Dave Nagle. In 1994 Nagle tried again but was beaten by a larger margain.

In 1996 he had a good race with Donna Smith. He had about a 6% win and would have probably lost, but the IDP did not back Smith because she was anti-choice (and he outspent her 10-1). Tully was well funded in 1998 but a poor candidate. Smith again in 1998, a 55-45 race.

A sid note, the whole Nussle reign would have probably been avoided had it not been for Tabor's numbskull campaign manager. He was caught registering to vote his relatives who lived out of the district, in a city in the district. Bad press the last week for Nussle.

[DU9598]

12. I think you are correct

I pulled my numbers off of a University of Minnesota website, but your recollection sounds more accurate.

I think Rob Tully was a good candidate, it just would have helped if he had lived in the District, not Des Moines. ;)

[Debi]

14. hee hee

But he grew up in Dubuque! :hi:

[Debi]

13. You've got your history right on!

I just want to repeat that the house banking scandal netted as many Republican Congress members as it did Democrats (and it was easy for Nussle to take advantage as he had only been a member for two years) (Just as Jim Ross Lightfoot how many checks HE bounced).

Dave Nagle stood up to the Republican's crying wolf - and Nussle's spin machine took out of context quotes and used them against Nagle.

I won't go into detail of the 2002 redistricting race (I could be here all day) - But the DCCC's interference in the primary made for sour grapes and and easy win for Nussle in the General.

[Debi]

16. I won't correct your history

as that's already been done - but I will agree with you about the district.

The seat should have been picked up in 2002 (with 6,000 more registered Dems in the district) but didn't happen - and 2004 was a dissapointment.

There is no reason, with Nussle out of the way, that the seat shouldn't be a Democratic seat - and we can FINALLY have Democratic representation in Congress for the first time in 14 years! (longer in some of the old 1st and 2nd)

BTW, have you seen the opposition. Running to the Right of Nussle is not going to get Dems or I's to support any of the three.

[DemKid2006]

27. In Gluba's defense

...there hasn't been a "weak" candidate in some time against Nussle. Smith ran a hell of a race, but the Iowa Dems when chickensh_t because she was a pro-life Dem...woops...Nagle was a great Congressman and Nussle's slime throwing machine really put forth some personal problems Nagle had, and a bunch of half-truths...Hutchinson wasn't bad, but she had been a Republican before, and some of the Labor Unions in step with an overstepping DCCC screwed that all up by mucking it up in the primary. Gluba was a very good candidate who was right on all of the issues, but he took on a very well-funded Nussle when nobody else wanted to. The other two current candidates where waiting for the sure thing in 2006. I think that hurt them because Gluba has a really high name ID. I also believe that during the Gluba 2004 race, the DCCC had reserved a half a million dollars or so for negative TV against Nussle, but pulled it a couple of weeks before the election to win Melissa's Beans seat. Also, unless we want to address Jimmy Nussle as Governor Nussle, the Iowa Dems need to get negative, and not cowardice away from Nussle's past...he paints himself as a family man, but left his first wife and down syndrome child for a DC staffer, his current wife...and there is also a pregnancy out of wedlock...its in his sealed divorce records, you get the point.

[ISUGRADIA]

11. "stand up to a republican scheme "

Nagle was a big Jim Wright supporter and was on the wrong side of the house banking scandle. Not good in a year where a lot of reform minded Perot voters showed up too.

That was far from a "republican scheme" as a lot of Repubs got caught up in its wake of having overdrafts.

[Debi]

15. I should have read your post before I responded above

One thing Republicans do when one of theirs is under attack is either lay low or stand together and defend (look at Delay). Democrats run or blame.

Nagle believes to this day Wright should have been defended and if his defense of Wright was a negative why didn't the Republicans find someone to run against Nagle in 1990? He ran unopposed.

Nagle believed that opening up ALL the house member's bank accounts for public review was inappropriate. He was fine with opening up members accounts who had bounced checks, but felt that the scrutiny should only be put on those who had taken advantage of the bank not on the innocent parties. But those famous words, "Then public opinion be damned" will forever be used against him. In reality he was standing up, protecting the innocent. But believe Nussle's attack machine if you will.

No one since Nagle has come close to defeating Nussle - not in any of the three districts - Democrats do have a chance this year of finally taking back the seat.

[ISUGRADIA]

17. You raised some good points about Nagle's stance

and his principles. I do not disagree with you. I just think Nussle and the Republicans were able to 30 second commercial the issue better at the time which is unfortunate. Nuance is never easy to convey in today's (and in 1992's) campaigns. The Wright defense added to a perception of Nagle's stance in 92 on the house bank with the Perot voters and the new district all helped to defeat Nagle.

The redistricting was non-partisan but slammed Dems in hindsight. Nagle in 92 and Smith in 94. We should have rejected that map for another as the Repubs did in 2002. Oh, and as to 2002 and national meddling with Nagle's campaign, I agree it was wrong.

[Debi]

18. Thanks.

:hi:

Now that we've replayed the last dozen years of politics :) we can focus on the three people running in the First for the nomination. (With John Lapp working with the DCCC I don't think we'll see a redux of 2002 so it will all be about public perception and money....Locally).

Are you in the first? or does your user name put you in the second?

[ISUGRADIA]

19. Actually, I moved up to Minnesota last summer

I had been living in Latham's district and am an ISU grad. I still keep up on Iowa races though being the political junkie I am. With Nussle leaving, and Leach too maybe sometime soon, I really hope we can take those seats.

[Debi]

20. Then watching Norris and Paul Johnson had to be heartbreaking

Even with the District as convoluted as it is if Latham ever steps aside I believe a strong Democrat could pick it up (maybe a moderate Democrat - can't forget Winneshiek and Allmakee counties).

Have you gotten involved in politics in Minnesota? If so, what's different there than in Iowa?

[cooperscooper]

21. Rick Dickinson...

Thought I'd pass along that Rick Dickinson's website is up. He looks like a pretty strong Democratic candidate.


http://www.rickdickinson.org/

[Debi]

23. Glad to see this up an running

since about a week ago there was only a sign in page and nothing else. Haven't seen him at any of the parades or gatherings in Black Hawk County. How's he doing on raising money?

[cooperscooper]

22. Rick Dickinson...

Just wanted to let you know you can find out more about Rick Dickinson on his website

Rick is the Democrat from Dubuque and he's got a pretty impressive website and resume. He looks like a great Democratic candidate.

Check it out for yourself at:

http://www.rickdickinson.org/

[newyawker99]

25. Hi cooperscooper!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[yellowdog]

24. I like Braley or Dickinson either more that Gluba.

I saw all three at the First District workshop last Saturday and there is something about Gluba that just puts me off. He is pro-life and seems to be pretty much of a Neanderthal when it comes to women.

[DemKid2006]

26. Neanderthal?

Interesting take on a differing point of view. Gluba is a pro-life Democrat, and so is about 2/3 of Dubuque, about half of Scott County, and about half of waterloo. Frankly, as a Democrat in a socially conservative district, I am sick of losing this seat over and over again to the Repubs over this one issue. I am more concerned about whether or not I will have social security when I turn 65, whether or not I will have enough Pell Grants to finish college, whether or not I will get drafted to fight in some stupid war W set off, whether or not I will get a tax break sometime before Exxon Mobile or Haliburton does, whether or not my 2 year old daughter will have the option of Head Start next year, and so on and so on. I know one thing, there hasn't been a Democrat in this seat since Blouin and Roe V. Wade, and that isn't a coincidence...I just hope abortion doesn't lose this election also.