Labour Day '06 in Iowa - getting ready for the '08 Presidential nominations

Iowa is among the critical states (NH. SC. Mich. etc.,) expected to schedule nominating contests in first 3 weeks of the 2008 primary season. Nine candidates were in Iowa last week: four Democrats and five Republicans.

War veteran John McCain could be found at the Iowa State Fair, judging hogs, chomping corn on a stick and selecting Chuck Larson, a former chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, as his Iowa adviser. Chuck 38, is an Army Reserve major with 12 months recent service in Iraq, and worked previously as a co-chairman in the state for the President.

Larsen has been chased also by Gov. George E. Patakis of New York ( whose lovely wife is on the staff of big Likud supporter Ronnie Lauder) , and Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts treated him to a nice sit down dinner at a hotel in Des Moines - Romney now has four full-time workers in Iowa.

The Des Moines Register columnist David Yepsen, wrote a column has showered praise on Gov. Romney saying he is the best organized Republican candidate in the state. Unbeleivably he said Romney was “well on his way toward winning the 2008 Iowa Republican caucuses.”

Ambitious Indiana Democratic Senator Evan Bayh has also been actiove sending help for the mid term elections and becoming a regular visitor to the state.

But no-one has been more actove than Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack - today in a popular move he has tapped U-S Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns asking that 22 Iowa counties be declared agriculture disaster areas.
Vilsack says the counties have experienced reduced yields for corn, soybeans, alfalfa hay and oats because of drought and severe weather. He wants drought decalred which if approved the counties would be eligible for federal assistance and qualifying farmers who qualify would get aid from U-S-D-A Emergency Loan Programs.

Picture - Marty Schnicker of rural Mt. Pleasant transferred his winning giant squash and watermelons from the Iowa State Fair to put them on display at Dave's Super Valu on Monday August 20th (Fair closed Sunday 19th)

Marty is NOT standing for President.