My name is Carissa Picard.  Although I am an attorney, I have been staying at home with my two sons, ages 3 and 6, for the past five years.  My husband is a warrant officer in the United States Army.  He just finished a year-long tour in Central America and is going to Iraq in early 2008.  As a result, we have less than a year together before he has to redeploy.  Nonetheless, in June, I drove from Fort Hood, Texas, to Des Moines, Iowa, to help promote Senator Joe Biden's candidacy (at my own expense and with my husband's full support).  This is my blog about my experience with the campaign and the people of Iowa.

For the past five years, I have been part of a community that is characterized by its strength and defined by its silence:  the military spouse community.  We accept the hardships of military life and we don’t expect anyone or anything to make it easier.  Yet with every passing year, those hardships have become increasingly untenable.  Out of our collective frustration, Military Spouses for Change (MSC) was born (www.militaryspousesforchange.com).

MSC was created to counter the culture of silence that permeates life in the military, giving a voice to military families.  Although service members are prohibited by law from engaging in political activism and/or expression, their spouses are not.  As a result, MSC reaches out to military spouses around the world, providing them with information about the political process, the war in Iraq, the activities in Congress pertaining to our service members, veterans, and families, and the upcoming Presidential election.  Obviously, the most pressing issue for us, as an organization and as military spouses, was the war in Iraq.  The outcome of the upcoming Presidential election could have a profound impact on our lives.   In 2008, this nation could elect a widow-maker or a peace-maker. I do not mean this figuratively.  

I believe Americans need to remember that we are electing a war President and a Commander-in-Chief of armed forces in distress.  Our service-members cannot tell America this, but military spouses can.  I can.  This is where my journey in Iowa began… 

June 11:  Arrived in Des Moines at Senator Joe Biden’s Iowa campaign headquarters.  Biden’s Iowa staff was wonderful and clearly a reflection of Senator Biden's kind spirit and good-nature.  I met men and women who were hard-working, intelligent, friendly, and committed–from the State Communications Director (Keith Dinsmore) to the Director of Administration (Stacy Brenton) to the local field organizers (Raena Davis, Lennon Duggan, Katrina Arnold, Jessica Not-the-Actress Alba).     

Field organizers are assigned to counties around the state.  Their job is to generate interest in and support for the candidate on an individual level.  They attend local events (like the county Democratic committee meetings), provide information about the candidate, call voters, gather and organize campaign volunteers, and set up speaking engagements for the Senator.  Essentially, they are the face of the candidate in the state to the individual voter.  Their job is to convince the voters in their counties that they should support our candidate.  They work seven days a week and yet it never seems like the day is finished or the job is done. 

Bill Romjue, the state Campaign Director, is a Vietnam vet and a big bear of a man whose gruff demeanor belies a heart that is completely unguarded and a spirit that is so kind it naturally engenders loyalty from those around him.  The Biden campaign and the Iowa staff are both lucky to have him.   

June 12:  Went to an Iowa Veterans Council meeting with the Veteran’s Coordinator, J.B. White (a veteran of the war in Iraq), and the Polk County Field Director, Raena Davis.  At the break, I met Donald Zoutte, editor and publisher of Veterans Magazine.  We both thought the other looked familiar but could not figure out how we could possibly have met or seen each other before!  Mr. Zoutte introduced me to probably one of the sweetest men I would ever meet in Iowa, Mr. Laurel E. Phipps. 

Mr. Phipps served during WWII, is on the Iowa Commission of Veterans Affairs, and was a former commander of the VFW.   And he was just a really nice guy.  After the meeting convened, I had a chance to meet other members, including Al Flyr (Commander of the Iowa chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart), Ralph Haney (affiliated with a ministry known as Cross Trainers), and John Shimko (director of the Veterans History Project).  

June 14:  In the morning, J.B. White, Bill Romjue, and I had breakfast with Valerie Biden Owens, Senator Biden’s sister.  Valerie has been running the Senator's campaigns since (according to her) he ran for class president in eighth grade.  LOL. Valerie seemed to truly care about the experiences, concerns, and issues of military families.  She was unfamiliar with military life and wanted to understand what it was like, in peace-time as well as in war-time.  She wanted to know, in very real terms, what spouses felt about the war and the deployments.  Of course, I did not pretend to speak for ALL spouses.  I could only speak for myself and the spouses I know.   

Although I knew that Valerie was incredibly important to the Senator’s campaign and very busy, she never once made me feel rushed.  I felt like I could have sat there all morning and she would have sat there with me.  Like the Senator, Valerie was tremendously empathetic.     

That evening, I went to speak at the Polk County Democratic Central Committee meeting.  I was painfully nervous although there were only 50 to 60 people present.  I was shaking as I walked toward the podium (and I had one of the fight-or-flight moments) at the front of the room and my voice was quivering when I started to speak.  I began by explaining who I was, why I came to Iowa, and how terrified I was that we will elect the wrong person for the wrong reasons in 2008.  

I feel like it is up to those of us in the military community to remind others that we are electing a war president.  Wars do not necessarily end when troops withdraw.  We have two wars that we must take equally seriously now: our own and those of the Iraqi people. Biden is the only candidate that realistically addresses both.  I believe we should vote in 2008 not only to bring our troops home, but to do so in a way that will not necessitate their return (with his tri-state plan for the country) or further compromise our national security. In order to do this, we must help Iraq end the civil war that our invasion opened the door for.  

Senator Biden is also the only candidate that realizes protecting our troops has two dimensions:  the long-term and the short-term.  In the short-term, our troops deserve to have the equipment and materials they need to perform their duties as safely as possible.   In the long-term, our troops deserve an exit strategy from Iraq that will not necessitate their return 3, 5, or 10 years from now.  Senator Biden not only has the most responsible plan for stabilizing Iraq and bringing our troops home, he also ensured that mine resistant vehicles would be produced and sent to our troops NOW (reducing troop casualties and losses up to 70%) by voting in favor of emergency funding for Iraq in June.  

Senator Biden did not vote “for the war,” as he has been accused of doing; rather, he voted to protect our troops.  This was a vote of conscience for him.  Biden actually said, referring to this vote, some things are worth losing elections over.   In essence, saving the lives of our service-members in Iraq TODAY was more important to him than winning the Democratic nomination tomorrow.   

For my first public speaking engagement, this was a great place to start.  The entire time I spoke, I could feel the audience sending me supportive vibes or I would catch someone’s eye and they would nod to me encouragingly.  Afterwards, I was able to meet several Polk county democrats, including the Executive Director of the Committee, Tamyra Westmyer, her fiancée Paul Harrison, and Kent Sovern. 

June 19:  I went with Lennon Duggan to have coffee with Jo Ann Zimmerman, the former (and first female) Lieutenant Governor of Iowa, and Becky Greenwald, the Dallas County Democrats Committee Chair.  Jo Ann and Becky had a great deal of knowledge to share about the Iowa caucus and Iowa politics, as well as about women’s issues and women’s representation in elected office.  This meeting was as enjoyable as it was informative. 

Jo Ann was very shrewd.  She was listening closely as I was speaking.  She finally asked me where I was from.  I told her I was from San Francisco.  She shook her head and said, “No, where were you born?”  That surprised me because it made me realize that, technically, I am from Grand Rapids, Michigan.  So I told her that indeed, I was born in Michigan and spent the first 10 years of my life there, but because I was still so young when we left, I came to think of the San Francisco Bay Area as my home.  Ms. Zimmerman said she knew I was from the Midwest because she could hear the accent when I spoke!  

June 23^rd:  I drove to the Senator’s campaign office in Cedar Rapids.  Jennifer Huson, the Cedar Rapids Field Organizer, was just setting that office up.   Jennifer really impressed me with her commitment to the Senator.  She is working on this campaign because she believes in him and she works tirelessly (I don’t think she has taken a day off since I have known her).   

Later that day, I rode with another Field Organizer, Holly Savage, to Tipton for the Cedar County Democrats fund-raising pot-luck at the City Park (where we met up with another Field Organizer, Adam Dunstone).  The newly elected U.S. Representative Dave Loebsack (D-2^nd Dist.) was there with his wife, Terry (a really sweet woman).    

I was immediately met by an incredible woman, Joan Hazell, who introduced me to members around the room and did everything she could to calm my nerves before I was supposed to get up and speak.  I found an ally in the Committee chairperson, Linda Carrillo, who said she too had a terrible public speaking phobia and that Joan nursed her through it as well!  So I was definitely in good hands that evening.   I was able to speak after Rep. Loebsack and I believe it went well.  (It certainly helps knowing that there are people like Joan and Linda in the audience.)   The Cedar County Democrats were so engaging that I was part of the last group to leave.  I was caught up in my conversations with Deb Owens and Pat Furchtenicht when we were finally ushered out of the building!    

June 25^th:  Jennifer Huson and I went to have dinner with Kathy Fait (Deb Owens brought Kathy and I together) in her West Branch home.  The three of us talked for hours that evening—mostly about politics, of course!  Kathy is fascinating to speak with and listen to.   Not only was she a considerate and gracious host, she was also just generally supportive!  I spent a few nights in Kathy’s guest bedroom.  I am still trying to think of an adequate way to repay her kindness to me.  

June 26^th:  I went with Holly Savage to the 83^rd Annual Iowa Professional Fire Fighters (IPFF) Convention Banquet in Iowa City.  The Senator’s son, Beau Biden, was the keynote speaker.  The Senator and his family have a long and emotional relationship with fire and rescue services, one that began on that fateful winter day in 1972 when he lost his wife and baby daughter (and almost lost his sons) in a car accident.   

Beau is currently the Attorney General in Delaware but he is also in the Delaware Army Reserves Corp.  His unit has received orders to deploy in 2008.  This is something the Senator does not talk about although I know this weighs heavily on his mind.  Before he left, I had a chance to talk to Beau and he was so easy to talk to that all I could think was, “He is definitely his father’s son!”  

June 27:  I attended the Linn County Democratic Central Committee Meeting with the Cedar Rapids Field Organizer, Jennifer Huson.  I met so many interesting people there, including Kay Hale, Michael Carberry (with Iowa Global Warming), Joe Stutler (beer afficianado and liaison to the Iowa Democratic Veterans Caucus), Bill Elam (candidate for Linn County Sheriff), Frank Reynolds (who gave me some great speaking advice), and State Representative Swati Dandekar (whom I believe announced recently is going to run for the State Senate).

I particularly remember Elaine Palmer (yep, related to Arnold Palmer).  She has several family members in the service and somehow we both ended up with tears in our eyes and hugging.  And I will never forget Mike Robinson, the Committee Chair, actually making me cry when he led the room in a standing ovation to honor my husband’s service, and the service of all our troops and all our families.  I realized how much I loved my husband and how much I missed him and how badly I did not want him to leave us again next year.  And I was so grateful for people like Mike and the Democrats in that room for reaching out to me at that moment and in that way.

Afterwards, Lynda Waddington, a writer with the Iowa Independent (www.iowaindependent.com) and Essential Estrogen (www.essentialestrogen.com), interviewed me about why I was in Iowa and why I was supporting the Senator.  Lynda is a fascinating woman and an excellent writer.  I have to admit that it was a little awkward being interviewed, but I feel as though I owe it to our troops to do everything I can to promote the candidacy of the person I believe would lead, honor, and protect them the best.  

June 29:  Drove up to Dubuque from West Branch.  Teri Goodman took Dr. Jill Biden (the Senator’s wife), and Missy Owens (his niece and a political director of this campaign) to an auction called Art on the River at the Grand River Center in Dubuque.  The Grand River Center is beautiful.  The side of the building that faces the Mississippi River is made entirely of glass.   From there we went to a gathering of supporters at a local bar, 180 Main.  This was Jill’s first speaking engagement in a “campaigning” capacity and although she said she was nervous, it did not show AT ALL.  Jill Biden is a charming, beautiful, soft-spoken woman who radiates strength and intelligence.  Like the Senator, I cannot imagine anyone meeting her and not adoring her; or, at the very least, walking away VERY impressed.  

As I always seem to do in Iowa, I met numerous open, friendly, interesting, and informed people, like David Overby and Dubuque County Democratic Committee Chair Terry Stewart.  We ended the evening with dinner at a local restaurant, the Pepper Sprout, which was DELICIOUS.    

June 30:  Spent the morning in downtown Dubuque at the Farmer’s Market with Jill Biden, Teri and Ellen Goodman, and Missy Owens.  We met countless Dubuque residents who welcomed Jill and I with all the warmth and friendliness that I have come to expect of Iowans!    

July 2:  Attended a house party in Iowa City where the Senator spoke to the guests.  It was a beautiful day to be outside.  The guests formed a large semi-circle around the Senator and he easily and candidly answered their questions.  I was thrilled to see Linda Carrillo (accompanied by her son) and Mike Carberry again. 

From the house party, the Senator went into downtown Iowa City to speak with the Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender community.  That event was aired a week or so later on C-SPAN.   Watching the Senator speak to, and interact with, voters, it was clear that he genuinely likes people.  It was equally clear that he cares deeply about this country.  He cares deeply about our troops and about our citizens.  He speaks from the heart, not just the head.  He has that unique combination of intellect and compassion, while most people (particularly politicians) possess only one of those qualities (or worse, neither).    

As the crowd dissipated and the Senator made his way toward the street, we crossed paths and officially met for the first time.  I know his personal staff was ready to call it a night, but he wanted to sit on a bench and talk to me about the organization (Military Spouses for Change) and about life for the military community during these difficult times.   

The Senator has a way of listening to you speak that gives you the feeling that he is mentally taking notes of everything you are saying; as if you are teaching him something that he wants to learn and understand.  I was flattered and surprised because the Senator is such an incredibly intelligent man.  Clearly, his intelligence is not accompanied by the usual corresponding degree of arrogance.  Imagine that, a President (or even a politician) with humility.  

July 3:  The Senator went to the Blue Strawberry Coffee Company in Cedar Rapids to have breakfast with the Linn County Democrats.  I brought one of the founding members of MSC, Rachel Manders (her husband is in the Iowa National Guard), to meet the Senator because she too supports his candidacy.   I saw many familiar faces, including the Linn County Democratic Committee Chair, Mike Robinson.  

July 4:  Drove to the veterans home in Marshalltown.  I got to see Al Flyr again (which is always a pleasure) and he made sure that I met Daniel Steen, the Commandant of the Iowa Veterans Home.  The Senator spoke to a group of resident veterans, making it known that his first priority as President will be fulfilling our nation’s obligation to our veterans.    

July 14:  Flew back to Killeen, Texas, to be with my family.  I have a hard time accepting the fact that my husband will be gone for 27 out of 36 months of our children’s lives.  How we leave Iraq IS as important as leaving Iraq itself.  It really is.  Everyone says it is hopeless in Iraq, and if we continue with our CURRENT policy, I agree.  But Biden has a viable plan for stabilizing Iraq and responsibly withdrawing our troops.  Biden's plan for Iraq, his familiarity with the Middle East, and his expertise in foreign affairs, gives me hope.  As long as I have that, I will work on making Senator Biden my husband’s next Commander-in-Chief.