Kerry scores endorsement of Iowa's first lady

[Karmadillo]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/01/12/politics0856EST0493.DTL

With her husband on the sidelines, Iowa's first lady will endorse Sen. John Kerry for the Democratic presidential nomination, party officials said Monday.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Christie Vilsack will throw her support behind the Massachusetts senator Monday at the state Capitol. Her husband, Gov. Tom Vilsack, has said he will not endorse a candidate before Iowa's kickoff caucuses Jan. 19.

The first lady is a political activist in her own right who endorsed Vice President Al Gore against former Sen. Bill Bradley in the 2000 caucuses. Gore won that contest while the governor remain neutral.

The first lady's endorsement is considered by Kerry's campaign to be the next best thing to the governor's blessing.

more...

[joeybee12]

1. Kerry SCORES with Iowa's First Lady?????? Disgusting!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, "endorsement."

Never mind.

[JI7]

2. wow,

good one for kerry. she must be some woman making her own decisions about what to do. kind of like kerry's own wife teresa.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. Rock ON!

This is awesome!

[JI7]

4. i wasn't even thinking about this one

i wasn't even considering the possiblity of the first lady of iowa state endorsing anyone. but nice to see she supports kerry. hopefully it brings some attention.

[Karmadillo]

5. Biography of Christie Vilsack

http://www.christievilsack.org/biography/

Since becoming the First lady of Iowa in January 1999, Christie Vilsack has worked to improve literacy, expand opportunities at community libraries, and focus attention on issues concerning Iowa's children.

In April 2000, Mrs. Vilsack created Iowa Stories 2000, a statewide literacy initiative designed to help communities better understand the importance of local libraries, early childhood reading and family storytelling. Fifty-five communities have so far participated in the Stories 2000 Literacy Communities inventory process. The process helps communities celebrate what they're already doing to support literacy and identify what they can do to meet unmet needs in the community. A goal of the initiative is to ensure that Iowa's children make reading a lifelong habit. In 2002, Iowa Stories 2000 provided every kindergartner in the state with a paperback copy of the alphabet book, I is for Iowa. In 2003, the state’s 41,000 kindergartners received paperback copies of Bells Goes to the Fair by Susan Knapp.

Referring to libraries as the "souls of Iowa communities," the First Lady works to strengthen libraries through her support of Enrich Iowa, a program that partners the State of Iowa with libraries to provide Iowans with more educational resources. Mrs. Vilsack has traveled to 370 of the state's 543 public libraries where she reads and talks about the importance of reading to people of all ages.

Mrs. Vilsack has been a teacher for 30 years. Before moving to Des Moines, she taught eighth grade language arts in Mount Pleasant for 15 years and freshman English and journalism at Iowa Wesleyan College for six years. She has worked as a feature writer and editorial page columnist for the Mount Pleasant News. Now she makes Iowa her classroom, traveling to schools throughout the state, reading, conducting book talks and promoting the opportunities Iowa has to offer young people.

more...

[blm]

6. Grazie, Karmadillo.

We have alot of great women in our camp.

[Karmadillo]

9. Very true

I was reading her bio and thinking maybe we limit ourselves too much by looking only at elected politicians for the Vice-President slot. If George W Bush has the resume to be President and Steve Forbes can be presented as a credible candidate...

[adadem]

7. Excellent news!

Kerry is also endorsed by Michigan's First Gentleman Dan Mulhern and he serves on Kerry's Michigan steering committee.

[JI7]

8. i wish his wife would do the same

but i did see her once say she likes kerry .

[adadem]

11. I'll bet

she's waiting til it gets closer to the caucus. Same with Carl Levin. It appears from some of his remarks he also is leaning the same direction.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

10. Kerry will make a late surge in Iowa

and it will never register in the polls until the actual caucus.

[sandnsea]

12. And 27 lawmakers

I don't know if these are the same ones who already endorsed or new ones. But it's true the local people are coming on strong for Kerry. This is great news, I think I like having Christie Vilsack better than having her husband!

"As for the 27 Iowa lawmakers who plan to endorse him today, Kerry said, "These are the people who do the work everyday for Iowans. These are the people who have to run and want somebody at the top of the ticket who can beat George Bush and help them to build a majority here."

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200401\POL20040112a.html

[Karmadillo]

13. More on reasons for endorsement

Brief article.

http://www.theiowachannel.com/politics/2758181/detail.html

<edit>

But at a press conference Monday morning, Christie Vilsack said she decided to back the Massachussets senator in part because of his relationship with his daughter and his wife -- who Vilsack called "a strong woman."

Vilsack also said she thinks Kerry's policies on education, health care and foreign policy are best among the Democratic candidates.

more..

[Monte Carlo]

14. Wow... go Kerry, go!

The endorsement of the Governor's mansion, if not the governor, is a definite plus. Kerry is down, but NOT out.

[flpoljunkie]

15. Good for Kerry! Here is a photo of the rally today at Iowa state Capitol.

January  12,  2004

For Immediate Release
Des Moines, IA –

On the steps of the state capitol today, the First Lady of Iowa Christie Vilsack endorsed John Kerry for President. Joined by Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and 27 state legislators who already back Kerry, the first lady’s announcement lends significant momentum to the already moving campaign of John Kerry in the last week leading up to the Iowa Caucus.

“I have made up my mind to stand in the Iowa caucus for John Kerry and I am very proud of that,” said Christie Vilsack. 

“In each election, Iowans choose not just on policy but also intangibles.  Over these last many months, I have listened to voters and have heard only good things about Senator Kerry,” said Mrs. Vilsack.  “It makes me feel very secure when I listen to John in terms of his leadership at home and experience in the world.  And I feel secure knowing that we will elect a president with that kind of leadership and experience to make this country a better, safer place.”

[sandnsea]

16. Great Pic!

I have to say, I wish there were a few more women in it. Christie needs to get some Iowa women in the legislature! We'll help her do that with JK as President!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. Yep. nt