I have obtained a direct-mail piece that Becky Greenwald’s campaign has sent out before the June 3 primary in the fourth Congressional district. I don’t know how large a universe received this mailer–whether it was just Democrats who are reliable voters, all Democrats, or also included voters not registered as Democrats.

I’ve described the visuals of the mailer and transcribed the text after the jump. It’s an interesting combination of the personal and the political, with the look of a family scrapbook.

I hope that Bleeding Heartland readers in the fourth district will tell us about any other direct-mail pieces or door-hangers you have received from Democrats hoping to take on Latham.

If you scan the images into a diary, or transcribe the text and describe the visuals, I will promote your diary to the front page.

Join me after the jump for more on “The Girl Next Door.”

Greenwald’s mailer is two 8 1/2 by 11-inch pages folded and stapled together to make an eight-page booklet that is approximately 5 1/2 by 8 1/2.

The cover has a photo of Greenwald, which looks like it might have come from a college yearbook. It  is set in an oval frame, as if hanging on a wall, and the background looks like green wallpaper with a pattern of leaves and vines. The text below the photo says, “THE GIRL NEXT DOOR.”

Pages 2 and 3 have a lighter, beige wallpaper-type pattern as a backdrop. The top of page 2 reads

Becky Greenwald was born, raised and educated in the Fourth Congressional District.

Then there is a photo of a high school girls’ basketball team, with Greenwald’s face circled in the front row. Underneath the photo, the text reads

Becky (Davis) Greenwald grew up in State Center, where she excelled both academically and in six-on-six basketball.

Page 3 has three snapshots of Greenwald at the top: a baby photo, an elementary-school age photo, and a high school photo. Then the following three paragraphs are printed:

After graduating from Iowa State University, Becky went to work for the American Red Cross where she helped servicemen returning from Vietnam and their families transition to a life with injury and the scars of war.

Tom Latham has voted to cut billions from Veterans programs in order to fund tax cuts for the wealthy.

Becky will help lead us out of this war in iraq, care for our soldiers returning home, and oppose the blank check Tom Latham has given the President for this war.

Below the text are two snapshots of Greenwald standing with several other people (her family?) in front of the Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, and with a group of nurses in uniform.

At the very bottom of page 3 is a footnote: HCR 95, Vote # 78, 3/20/2003.

Pages 4 and 5 have a light green background with another leafy wallpaper-type patter. Page 4 has a photo of Greenwald receiving her diploma at Drake University on the right. The text on the rest of the page reads:

Becky raised two children, worked full-time and stil managed to earn a MBA from Drake University.

While Tom Latham is giving tax breaks to overseas corporations, Becky would work to keep our jobs here and invest in new jobs, which cannot be outsourced. With more than two decades of experience in the agriculture industry, Becky is as comfortable on the farm as she is in the boardroom.

She believes in the promise of our fields and the ingenuity of our workers to produce a new energy that will lessen our dependence on foreign oil and help clean our environment. We can create high paying jobs in our Iowa communities.

The bottom of page 4 has another footnote: HR 3529, Vote #509, 12/19/2001.

Page 5 has two snapshots. The top one shows Greenwald with her kids as her son is about to blow out candles on a birthday cake. The caption reads, “Becky, her daughter Adrienne, and son Zach on his 9th birthday.”

The other photo shows her and her kids a few years later, above the caption, “Becky and the kids at Walt Disney World.”

Pages 6 and 7 have a different light green wallpaper-type pattern in the background. Page 6 has two snapshots of Greenwald stalking with Iowans, one outdoors in the country, the other indoors. The text underneath reads

Becky shares our commitment to:

-Bringing home our troops.

-Making healthcare affordable for everyone.

-Creating jobs.

 

Page 7 is a letter from Greenwald:

Dear Friend,

We have been through so much together. We stood by one another during the farm crisis and helped each other during the floods. We cheered on our girls in six-on-six and our boys in wrestling. We hold our heads high and our flag higher to support our troops. We share more than a community, we share values.

It is hard work, decency and a sense of community which binds us together.

In Congress, Tom Latham has let us down. He has sided with overseas companies instead of our Veterans. He has opposed a minimum wage increase for workers and essential stem cell research.

When I get to Congress, I won’t forget the lessons I learned as a kid growing up in Iowa and as a working parent.

In my career and throughout my life, I have worked to find solutions for problems. Today, our country has a lot of problems; the soaring cost of gas, healthcare priced out of reach, prescription drugs manufactured here but sold cheaper in Canada, jobs being outsourced and a war with no end in sight. The solutions to these problems has been here all along. The answer is us, you and I. Together, we can make a difference.

We can create new jobs that put Iowans to work creating energy, cleaning our environment and eliminating our dependence on foreign oil. We can guarantee every American access to healthcare and make prescription drugs affordable.

I hope you will consider supporting me on June 3rd.

In friendship,

Becky Greenwald

There are two footnotes at the bottom of page 7: HR 1227, Vote #195 and #192, 5/23/1996; HR 810, Vote #204, 5/24/2005.

Page 8 is the back page of the booklet, with a photo of Greenwald and the text “Becky Greenwald for Congress. TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.” There is also contact information for her campaign.