With less than three weeks remaining before the June 5 primary, many Democrats (including myself) are still undecided in the primary to represent Iowa’s third Congressional district. All three candidates left standing in the once-crowded field have raised enough money to run strong, district-wide campaigns.
This post focuses on how Cindy Axne, Pete D’Alessandro, and Eddie Mauro have presented themselves in stump speeches, direct mail, and television commercials aimed at Democratic voters.
UPDATE: Charleston’s dismissal was unrelated to his recent Facebook posts. Scroll down to read a document the Polk County Sheriff’s Office provided on June 26, citing incidents of “insubordination,” “neglect of duty and disharmony,” and a Human Resources department report detailing “gender bias in the workplace.”
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office fired Deputy Sheriff Dan Charleston on June 23, Linh Ta reported for the Des Moines Register. Officials declined to state the reason for his termination, citing the possibility of an appeal or lawsuit.
Charleston had been under investigation over a pair of personal Facebook posts disparaging Islam. I’ve enclosed a screen shot of one post below. Iowa Informer has an image of the second, which Charleston apparently deleted.
Dan Charleston’s second campaign to become chief law enforcement officer in Iowa’s largest county hasn’t received enough attention. Thanks to guest author Siouxsie for giving the Republican the scrutiny he deserves. -promoted by desmoinesdem
Dan Charleston is running for Polk County Sheriff. He’s getting a lot of support because of his popular “no speed cameras” platform. He’s also publicly stated that he’d remove Des Moines’s status as a “Sanctuary City,” fight the rampant gang infestation in our city, and be the “Constitutional Sheriff” this county needs. Recently he’s been chiming in with a call to “Drain the Swamp”, the slogan for the Trump campaign’s last minute effort to try to find an issue that doesn’t turn the stomach of more moderate voters.
There are some problems with these positions.
Polk County Sheriff Bill McCarthy is facing a strong re-election challenge from Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Dan Charleston, who wants to bring the “constitutional sheriff” movement to Iowa’s largest county. Some clips on the sheriff’s race are after the jump, along with the transcript of a positive television commercial McCarthy is running on Des Moines stations.
UPDATE: Added a radio ad for Dan Charleston below.
Continue Reading...Stay tuned:
Senator Barack Obama’s postponed trip to Cedar Rapids has been rescheduled for Thursday, July 31st, 2008. Senator Obama’s visit to Cedar Rapids was originally scheduled for June, but was postponed due to the floods.
On Thursday, Senator Obama will host a town hall meeting on the economy in Cedar Rapids. He will also meet with Cedar Rapids residents affected by the floods. Further details of Senator Obama’s visit will follow in the coming days.
As always, post a comment or send me an e-mail (desmoinesdem AT yahoo.com) if I’ve left out any important events coming up this week.
Monday, July 28:
Representative Bruce Braley will hold a series of public meetings:
8:00am Bettendorf Congress on Your CornerMississippi Bend Area Education Agency
729 21st Street
Bettendorf , Iowa
10:45am De Witt Congress on Your Corner
Frances Banta Waggoner Community Library
505 10th Street
De Witt , Iowa
12:45pm Maquoketa Congress on Your Corner
Maquoketa Area Family YMCA
500 E. Summit Street
Maquoketa , Iowa
From the Center on Sustainable Communities:
Join COSC at our Site Preparation and Construction & Demolition Source Separation Workshop on Monday, July 28th, 2008 from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the WDM affordable green demonstration home site – 927 Maple Street in Historic Valley Junction. This will be the first in our series of workshops at the affordable green demonstration homes in the Des Moines metro area.
To RSVP, contact Emily at 515-277-6222 or Emily@icosc.com.
Visit www.icosc.com for details.
Tuesday, July 29:
There is an open house/fundraising reception for Bill McCarthy, Democrat and candidate for Polk County Sheriff, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at the home of Jim & Roxanne Conlin, 2900 Southern Hills Circle in Des Moines. (Just head west on Park Ave. about a mile and a half west of Fleur Drive; turn north off of Park Ave. on Southern Hills Drive; drive north until you reach Southern Hills Circle.)
Contributions Appreciated: Checks may be made payable to: McCarthy for Sheriff
Or mail contribution to:
Bill McCarthy for Sheriff,
5201 SE 32nd St., Des Moines, IA 50320
* For questions or to RSVP, contact Linda at 205-4351 *
From the DNR:
BLACK HAWK COUNTY RESIDENTS ASKED TO SHARE IDEAS ON IMPROVING GEORGE WYTH LAKE
MEDIA CONTACT: Jeff Berckes at (515) 281-4791 or jeff.berckes@dnr.iowa.gov or Charles Ikenberry at (515) 281-8753 or charles.ikenberry@dnr.iowa.gov.
CEDAR FALLS – Iowans interested in improving George Wyth Lake in Black Hawk County can attend a meeting July 29 to discuss and review a recent water quality study and its suggestions for improving the lake.
George Wyth Lake is on the state’s impaired waters list because of excess E. coli in the water, which may indicate the presence of disease-causing pathogens. Geese that reside in the park appear to be the primary contributor to this problem.
The study, or DNR water quality improvement plan, looks at the problems and potential solutions for the problems in George Wyth Lake. It is designed as a guide for improving the lake for local resource agencies, partners, stakeholders and residents.
“We are excited to inform people about the study and discuss how the DNR and George Wyth patrons can work together to improve the lake,” said Jeff Berckes with the DNR’s Watershed Improvement program. “This meeting is the first step forward in revitalizing a great Iowa natural resource and we look forward to working with local community members to incorporate their ideas on how to put an effective plan into action.”
The DNR will ask Iowans for their input at a July 29 meeting in Cedar Falls. The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Hartman Reserve Nature Center, 657 Reserve Dr.
Staff from the DNR’s Lake Restoration program, Watershed Improvement program and Fisheries and Wildlife bureaus will also be on hand to answer questions.
Those not able to attend the public meeting can receive more information at www.iowadnr.gov/water/watershed/tmdl/publicnotice.html and submit comments on the plan by Aug. 19 via the following ways:
E-mail: jeff.berckes@dnr.iowa.gov
Telephone: Jeff Berckes at (515) 281-4791
Mail: Jeff Berckes, care of Iowa DNR, Wallace State Office Building,
502 E. Ninth St.,Des Moines, Iowa 50319
After gathering Iowans’ comments, the DNR will forward the final plan, also called by its technical name of Total Maximum Daily Load, to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval. Local groups interested in helping George Wyth Lake can then use the plan to assist their improvement efforts.
Wednesday, July 30:
From the Center on Sustainable Communities:
Richard Louv Lecture
Hoyt Sherman Place
1501 Woodland Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50309
Wed, July 30
7:00 pm
Richard Louv is an author and journalist focused on nature, family and community. His most recent book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, has stimulated an international conversation about the future relationship between children and nature, and has helped spawn a movement that is now moving into the international sphere. He serves as chairman of the Children and Nature Network, an organization helping to build the international movement to connect children with nature.
Visit http://iowagogreen.com/eventti… for tickets.
Tickets are free but seating is limited and may not be available at the door.
Thursday, July 31:
Barack Obama will hold a town-hall meeting in Cedar Rapids. I’ll post more details about this event when they become available.
One Iowa and Green Drinks are co-hosting a Happy Hour from 5 to 7 pm at the Hillside Condo Penthouse, 1902 Woodland Ave in Des Moines, suite 300 (the building next to the Gateway Market). Suggested donation $20, but no one is turned away. Please RSVP at oneiowa.org.
From Polk County Democrats:
You are cordially invited to attend a wine and cheese reception for John Scarpino, Democratic Candidate for Polk County Supervisor, at the home of Ray and Karen Blase, 913 NE 34th Street, Ankeny
Thursday, July 31 from 5:30 to 7:30 P.M.
Come and hear why John is a candidate for office
and enjoy a glass of wine with old friends.
Saturday, August 2:
From the Sierra Club e-mail loop:
Continue Reading...The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge – A Priceless Gift
A Presentation and Storytelling
about a very Special Place
When: Saturday August 2nd, 2008, at 10:00 am
Where: Urbandale Public Library, Meeting Room A/B
3520 86th Street Urbandale, Iowa 50322
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of America’s premier wilderness
areas. The coastal plain of the Refuge has been threatened by oil drilling
many times in its 50 year history. Today, threats from Big Oil are greater
than they have been for over two decades. Come learn about the history,
it’s values, and how you can help protect this national treasure.
This is a story, as well, of indigenous concerns, and about raising the
voices of those urging our government to recognize the rights of indigenous
peoples.
For more information contact: Lois Norrgard 952-881-7282 lois@alaskawild.org
Presented by:
Sarah James, a Neetsaii Gwich’in Athabascan Indian from Arctic Village,
Alaska, raised in the traditional nomadic way. Sarah was one of the first
recipients of the Ford Foundation Leadership for a Changing World Award and
a co-recipient of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize for her work
with the Gwich’in Steering Committee to protect the calving and nursery
grounds of the Porcupine River Caribou Herd. The Porcupine Caribou Herd has
sustained the Gwich’in for over twenty thousand years.
Lois Norrgard, the Upper Midwest Field staff for the Alaska Wilderness
League. She has worked for the League and Alaska Coalition for the past
three years, continuing to raise awareness about the values and threats
facing our beautiful wild lands in Alaska.
Some places are just too special to destroy for a short term gain – the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of these places
Post a comment or shoot me an e-mail if I left out anything important.
Political events are slowing down for the summer, it seems.
The Indianola Balloon Classic starts this weekend and runs through the first weekend in August. We’ve found it’s most enjoyable to take our young children on Monday evening, when the crowds are lighter. Bring a camera so you can show the kids photos of the balloons later! Our kids love watching a slideshow of the balloons that my husband put together on his computer. Details on the balloon classic schedule and directions to the field are here.
Wednesday, July 23:
From the Sierra Club, Iowa chapter:
Here’s an opportunity for you to speak up in support of clean water. After passage of the Clean Water Act 36 years ago and passage of a law requiring antidegradation review 21 years ago, Iowa still has no effective antidegradation implementation. However, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will be presenting a draft rule package to the Environmental Protection Commission in September. The department has set up informational meetings across the state in July and August to share information with the public.
These meetings are an opportunity for the public to give the DNR input when making decisions about allowing pollution into our water. It’s very important that Iowans take advantage of this opportunity and future regulatory processes, including decisions about issuing permits. The dates and sites for this first round of informational meetings are:
July 23, 2008 – Clear Lake, IA – Clear Lake Public Library – 10 AM
From ICCI:
Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE) meeting this Wed in Iowa City
The VOICE bill has been endorsed by many organizations including: Democracy for America (DFA) , The Sierra Club and I-Renew.
Event Info Host: Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Location: Iowa City Public Library, Meeting Room A
Street:
123 S. Linn
City/Town:
Iowa City, IA
Contact Info Phone:
5152820484
Email:
kate@iowacci.org
Description
Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE) would provide public funding for state elections, something that has already shown success in Arizona, Maine, Connecticut, and other places.
Come discuss the issues you care about and how the influence of big money creates obstacles to change. With VOICE we can shape a government where people matter more and money matters less.
This meeting is sponsored by Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and Iowa Citizen Action Network.
Friday, July 25:
The DNR will be holding an informational meeting about water quality rules at 10 am in the Wallace Building 5th floor conference room in Des Moines. For background, see details above about similar event in Clear Lake on July 23.
Tuesday, July 29:
Continue Reading...
OPEN HOUSE FUNDRAISING RECEPTION for:BILL McCARTHY, Democrat
Candidate for Polk County Sheriff
Next Tuesday, July 29th, 2008
Open House – 4:30 P.M. to 6:30 P.M.
At the home of Jim & Roxanne Conlin
2900 Southern Hills Circle
Des Moines, IA
(Just head west on Park Ave. about a mile and a half west of Fleur Drive; turn north off of Park Ave. on Southern Hills Drive; drive north until you reach Southern Hills Circle.)
Contributions Appreciated: Checks may be made payable to:
McCarthy for Sheriff
Or mail contribution to:
Bill McCarthy for Sheriff,
5201 SE 32nd St., Des Moines, IA 50320
* For questions or to RSVP, contact Linda at 205-4351
