The power of the Internet, the power of blogging, the power of Daily Kos is that it puts politics back in the hands of the people... where we all know it rightfully belongs. Forget the red, white and blue campaign websites with their consultant-sanitized messages and carefully constructed doublespeak.
You don’t have to participate in CSI: Election to try and uncover the meaning behind the sound bites. You don’t have to squint at the campaign logo, deciding whether you see the vase or the two faces. You don’t have to do it because you, gentle reader, have the Blog Workers Industrial Union and Benevolent Society—and the BWIUBS has your back.
Here at BWIUBS, we’re asking the hard questions. Cartoon characters. Mascots. The walls of the candidates’ high school bedrooms. We asked every Democratic candidate for Governor, Senate and the House of Representatives to answer twenty questions for your edification. The questions are still being sent to candidates, and answers will be posted in the order they are received. Candidates are notified in advance of the posting of their answers so that they can join us if they desire, and we will post a diary Monday through Friday between 10 and 10:30 AM EST for your reading and commenting pleasure. Join us for some fun and camaraderie as we get to know the people who want to represent our interests across the country.
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In the hot seat today is Bob Krause, who is running for Senate in Iowa.
On with the show:
BWIUBS: Looking at your district/state on a map...what does the outline of your district resemble?
Bob: Kind of like the lower 48 United States except without Texas (which is not all bad)
BWIUBS: What is your favorite crayon color?
Bob: Blue (blue state - what else?)
BWIUBS: What is your favorite thing about being a candidate?
Bob: Conceptualizing positions and the logic behind them, speaking on the issues, meeting voters.
BWIUBS: What is your least favorite thing about being a candidate?
Bob: Raising money.
BWIUBS: When you were growing up, what did you want to be and why?
Bob: A politician. Dad would read the paper aloud to me as I sat on his lap, and would tell me about Adlai Stevenson.
BWIUBS: IF you were on death row, what would you want your last supper to be and who would you want to cook it?
Bob: A big steak. My wife.
BWIUBS: If you could run for office in any other district/state...where would you do so and why?
Bob: Senate in Hawaii. It's just about the weather!
BWIUBS: Favorite sport and team in that sport?
Bob: Iowa Hawkeyes. Baseball/Football.
BWIUBS: Most recent book you read?
Bob: Actually the Bible - second time cover-to-cover.
BWIUBS: What kind of car do you drive?
Bob: 97 Jeep and 96 Pontiac Grand Am
BWIUBS: Favorite character in the movie "The Breakfast Club"?
Bob: Don't know
BWIUBS: Where are you when answering these questions?
Bob: In the bedroom at home.
BWIUBS: Best meal you've had at a banquet since becoming a candidate?
Bob: It's all rubber chicken!
BWIUBS: If you could be any cartoon character...which one would you be?
Bob: Spider Man - because I like to make connections and then stick to them!
BWIUBS: The day after the election, win or lose...which amusement park would you prefer to visit and why?
Bob: Something small and rustic -- perhaps Arnold's Park at Lake Okoboji in northern Iowa. There is a turn-of-the-century roller coaster there and a bunch of other 'oldie-but-goodie' rides. It's kind of like comfort food - I went there as a kid.
BWIUBS: If you could come up with a new animal as the mascot for the Democratic Party which animal would you pick and why?
Bob: A Bull Moose. It has a very progressive heritage with Teddy Roosevelt.
BWIUBS: What is your favorite board game and why?
Bob: It is classic and teaches strategy and tactics.
BWIUBS: What was the last movie you saw in a movie theater?
Bob: Something with Sandra Bullock!
BWIUBS: As teenagers, many of us had posters of our favorite movie stars, musicians etc on the walls....what was on the walls of you room as a teenager?
Bob: Huge maps - South America, North America, Asia, Europe.
BWIUBS: Last but not least....say one nice thing about your Republican opponent.
Bob: He is very personable. I served with him in the Iowa General Assembly years ago.
And there you have it folks...feel free to ask Bob more questions in the comments and if he doesn't make it in to answer them himself, I'll forward the questions to him and we'll post his answers in a Saturday wrap up diary if necessary!