Democratic Congressional candidate Staci Appel’s campaign started running its second television commercial today. “Independence” focuses on the candidate’s work in the Iowa Senate from 2007 through 2010. I’ve posted the video and my transcript after the jump. As in her first commercial, the announcer refers to the candidate as “Staci”–ever since Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, this approach seems to be a trend with women candidates.
The script includes key words that resonate with conservatives and moderates (“business,” “finance,” “balance budgets”) as well as with progressives (expanding pre-K, raising the minimum wage, approving pay equity). That makes sense in a swing district like Iowa’s third. Appel mentioned the same set of issues in her soapbox appearance at the Iowa State Fair. I’ve posted excerpts from the news coverage after the jump.
Groups backing Republican candidate David Young are sure to portray Appel as a liberal Nancy Pelosi clone, so it makes sense to pre-empt that message with an ad about bipartisanship. To my knowledge, neither Young nor the National Republican Congressional Committee have run television ads in IA-03 since the primary. The NRCC ran a web ad bashing Appel, while U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley recorded a radio spot supporting Young.
In related news, Appel’s press release announcing today’s new tv spot took a swipe at Young for backing a “flat tax” at the Iowa State Fair (video here). At the end of this post I’ve enclosed excerpts from the Des Moines Register’s coverage of Young’s soapbox speech.
Appel is one of eight great women candidates for U.S. House, according to a feature in the latest edition of Elle magazine. The piece described Appel as a “mother of six and fierce pro-choice advocate,” who wants to bring “less bickering” and more “Iowa-mom common sense” to Washington.
IA-03 contained 153,285 registered Democrats, 164,984 Republicans, and 156,626 no-party voters as of August 1.
Appel for Iowa ad, “Independence”:
My transcript:
Male voice-over: Iowa independence. With a background in business and finance, Staci understands what it takes to create jobs and balance budgets. [footage of Appel speaking with men and women in different settings, including across a table as if she were serving as a financial advisor; words at bottom of screen: “Iowa Independence,” then “Staci Appel”]
As a state senator, Staci reached across party lines to reorganize state government and cut waste. [view pans across photographs of Appel talking people people, working in state legislature; candidate’s name remains near bottom of screen, along with words “Reached across party lines,” “Reorganized state government,” “Cut waste”]
She expanded pre-K to help middle-class families, [footage of Appel with a young child; “Staci Appel” remains near bottom of screen, along with words “Expanded Pre-K”]
raised the minimum wage, and passed pay equity legislation, so women are paid fairly. [footage of Appel walking and talking with different women; candidate’s name remains on screen, with “Raised Iowa minimum wage,” then “Passed pay equity”]
Brief footage of Staci Appel with her children, then Appel speaks to camera: I’m Staci Appel, and I approved this message, because for me it’s not about partisanship, it’s all about putting Iowa families first. [Campaign logo appears on screen]
From William Petroski’s report for the Des Moines Register on August 14:
Appel, a Democrat from Ackworth who formerly served in the Iowa Senate, said Thursday at the Iowa State Fair that she is running for Congress to support middle-class families. […]
She favors an increase in the federal minimum wage, now at $7.25 per hour, providing teachers with tools to prepare young people for 21st Century jobs, and protecting Social Security and Medicare for seniors. […]
OTHER ISSUES: Appel said she is proud of her work in the Iowa Legislature to pass a ban on smoking in most public places and enclosed areas where people work. As a mother of six children, she is a big advocate of preschool programs, and she strongly favors providing women with equal pay for equal work. She also spoke of her bipartisan legislative work to make state government more efficient.
QUOTE: “You have to sit down and listen to folks to get things done. That is what we are missing now in Congress”
From William Petroski’s report for the Des Moines Register on August 13:
NOTABLE: Young, a Republican from Van Meter and a former chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, told an Iowa State Fair audience on Wednesday that the federal budget deficit needs to be reduced and accountability in government increased. He promised strong oversight of federal programs and bureaucrats of the type offered by Grassley, who has called federal officials on the carpet at congressional hearings, asked tough questions, and sought more scrutiny to eliminate government fraud and abuse.
“I will be a taxpayer watchdog for Iowa,” he promised, adding he will work to help restore the public’s trust in government. […]
OTHER ISSUES: Young criticized President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, saying it’s hurting the economy. He said he favors more transparency and market competition in health insurance programs. He called for construction of the Keystone XL pipeline to “get us off the trough of Middle Eastern oil.” He also said the national unemployment rate is too high, which he believes requires Congress to embrace policies that generate more economic opportunities.
QUOTE: “We have almost an $18 trillion dollar budget debt. Isn’t that astounding? I can hardly quantify that. We have to change the way we budget in Washington. They have to balance their budgets.”
From the Appel for Iowa press release of August 20:
“We got results for middle class Iowans when we sat down, listened to each other and put families first,” said Appel. “I’m proud of my record of supporting an increase in the minimum wage, expanding voluntary pre-school to every four year old and passing equal pay for equal work and I’m ready to work across the aisle to do the same in Congress.”
On Thursday, Appel’s Republican opponent, David Young (R-Van Meter) revealed more about how he would take a hammer to middle class Iowans at the Des Moines Register Soapbox. At the event Young outlined his support of a flat tax, which according to one study, shifts the tax burden onto middle class workers.
Young has already said he supports the Republican budget which would in the end the Medicare guarantee for seniors and raise their costs by thousands of dollars, while cutting taxes for the wealthy.