FBI Infiltrates University of Iowa Peace Group

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Sunday May 17, 2009 · 10:54 AM PDT

2009/05/17 · 10:54

The Des Moines Register reported an FBI informant and undercover police officer infiltrated a peace organization at the University of Iowa prior to the RNC convention in August 2008.

Confidential FBI documents obtained by The Des Moines Register show an FBI informant was planted among a group described as an "anarchist collective" that met regularly last year in Iowa City. One of the group's goals was to organize street blockades to disrupt the Republican convention, held Sept. 1-4, 2008, where U.S. Sen. John McCain was nominated for president.

The undercover Minnesota deputy who traveled to Iowa City was from the Ramsey County Sheriff's Department, which infiltrated a group known as the "RNC Welcoming Committee" that was coordinating convention protest activities in St. Paul.

The undercover officer accompanied two activists from the Twin Cities who attended the University of Iowa in April 2008 for a Midwest campus anti-war conference.

noneed4thneed

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Sunday October 12, 2008 · 6:10 PM PDT

2008/10/12 · 18:10

The big news from John McCain's rally on Saturday in Davenport didn't come from McCain and happened before the Senator was even on stage.

During the invocation Rev. Arnold Conrad, past pastor of the Grace Evangelical Free Church, equated this election with a religious war.

From John Deeth...

"I would also pray, Lord, that your reputation is involved in all that happens between now and November, because there are millions of people around this world praying to their god - whether it's Hindu, Buddha, Allah - that his opponent wins, for a variety of reasons," Conrad said.

"And Lord, I pray that you would guard your own reputation, because they're going to think that their god is bigger than you, if that happens. So I pray that you will step forward and honor your own name with all that happens between now and Election Day."

There are all kinds of nuts that say crazy things, but Rev. Conrad was part of the official program, spoke in front of the entire audience right before McCain came on stage, and was chosen by the campaign to speak.

noneed4thneed

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Tuesday April 29, 2008 · 6:37 PM PDT

2008/04/29 · 18:37

The Fallon campaign sent out this press release last week...

Fallon has received invitations to eight debates and has accepted them all. "Unfortunately," Fallon said, "Boswell has declined debate invitations from WHO Radio, the League of Women Voters, and Women for a Stronger America. Some of these groups have issued multiple invitations since February and have yet to receive any response from the Boswell campaign."

Is it because Boswell can't defend his vote for the Iraq War?

Is it because Boswell can't defend his vote in favor of repealing the estate tax?

Is it because Boswell can't defend his vote to the bankruptcy bill?

Is it because Boswell can't defend his vote to approve torture in the Military Commissions Act?

Is it because Boswell can't defend his vote for No Child Left Behind?

Is it because Boswell can't defend his continued support for NAFTA-like trade agreements?

Is it because Boswell can't defend the fact that 74% of his donations come from PAC's?

Is it because Boswell can't defend his vote to provide $14 billion in tax breaks and incentives for oil and gas companies?

IA-03: Boswell Believed Bush

noneed4thneed

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Monday April 28, 2008 · 7:56 PM PDT

2008/04/28 · 19:56

Last week Leonard Boswell sent a mailer out once again criticizing Ed Fallon for backing Ralph Nader in 2000. Boswell attempts to link Fallon's support of Nader to the death of 4,000 Americans in Iraq, the poor economy, and government corruption.

The mailer read...

Ed Fallon believed him.
Fallon helped elect George Bush
by endorsing and actively
campaigning for Ralph Nader.

Now, Fallon claims he's a real Democrat we can trust.

With nearly 4,000 of our soldiers killed in Iraq, rampant corruption throughout our government, health care costs out of control and an economy in shambles, Ed Fallon's support for Ralph Nader is unforgivable.

Enough phony politics.

Say NO to ED FALLON.

With nearly 4,000 of our soldiers killed in Iraq, rampant corruption throughout our government, health care costs out of control and an economy in shambles, Ed Fallon's support for Ralph Nader is unforgivable.

noneed4thneed

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Sunday April 27, 2008 · 5:45 PM PDT

2008/04/27 · 17:45

The big news out of the 4th District Democratic Convention was that Barack Obama picked up a national delegate.

The 4th District had 507 seats to fill. At first count 425 of the seats were filled with delegates and the first count was Obama 231, Clinton 147, Edwards 42, Uncommitted 5. The remaining seats were filled with alternates. I was one of the alternates that were seated for Obama.

After the alternates were seated the count was Obama 274, Clinton 175, Edwards 52, Uncommitted 6. The number for viability was 76. The Edwards group (and the uncommitteds) weren't viabile. The national delegate count at this time was Obama 3, Clinton 2, with one delegate up for grabs.

noneed4thneed

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Sunday February 24, 2008 · 1:19 PM PST

2008/02/24 · 13:19

A popular topic of discussion in my town seems to be how crappy the roads have been all winter. The discussion has moved into the local newspaper and into the city council chambers.

I have to agree with a lot of the criticism because many of the roads that I drive on everyday are pretty bad. However, I do not blame the city council or the city workers for the ice covered and snow packed roads. I put the blame on the anti-tax crowd that gets all worked up about any discussion of property taxes. Every time a new budget is discussed the anti-tax gets all riled up about property taxes without stopping and thinking about what we actually spend our money on. This lack of rational debate has caused us to become a low-tax minimal-services society.

If you think it is a wise investment to pay overtime for city workers to hop into their snow plows in the middle of the night to clear the roads, then you might just have to pay a couple more dollars on your property taxes.

noneed4thneed

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Sunday February 10, 2008 · 8:42 AM PST

2008/02/10 · 08:42

The Michigan Primary should have taken place yesterday, February 9th. However, they decided to break DNC rules and move up their primary to make it more meaningful. The DNC stripped the state of the their delegates, rendering the earlier primary meaningless and now Michigan is complaining about not having delegates.

As I predicted back in November, if the Michigan primary was today, it would have been very important in the process. It is a large state with a lot of delegates and the candidates would have been campaigning there all week. Instead Obama has been campaigning in Nebraska and Maine. Michigan really dropped the ball on this one.

Strong Action Needed in Iowa to Cut Energy Use

noneed4thneed

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Monday January 14, 2008 · 3:36 PM PST

2008/01/14 · 15:36

Maryland's Governor Martin O'Malley is being strongly urged by his top energy advisor to take aggressive steps to cut energy consumption, and the state should create a multimillion-dollar fund to give homeowners an array of incentives to use less power.

The blueprint, to be released by the Maryland Energy Administration, will offer 20 proposals to help O'Malley (D) deliver on his ambitious pledge to reduce the state's energy consumption by 15 percent in seven years and stave off rolling blackouts that experts predict could occur in three years.

The report recommends that the state encourage the fledgling solar and wind energy industries to invest in the region and help Maryland more than double its use of renewable power.

Iowa Governor Chet Culver has been a proponent of renewable energy, creating the Iowa Power Fund, the Iowa Office of Energy Independence, and saying he wants Iowa to become the renewable energy capital of the world.

noneed4thneed

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Saturday January 12, 2008 · 10:23 AM PST

2008/01/12 · 10:23

Two very telling comments were made by the Clinton campaign days leading up to the New Hampshire that were lost amongst Hillary's tears and her finding her voice.

The first comment was Bill Clinton describing Obama's campaign as a fairy tale. After being criticized by the minority community and seeing the comments at possible hurting Hillary's support in South Carolina, the Clinton's are backtracking.

The second comment could only be described as fear mongering. Hillary questioned Obama's experience by brining up possible terrorist attacks if he were to be elected.

noneed4thneed

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Tuesday January 08, 2008 · 6:27 PM PST

2008/01/08 · 18:27

Former State Rep. Ed Fallon of Des Moines will be challenging Rep. Leonard Boswell in a primary in Iowa's 3rd district.

Boswell has been named a Bush Dog Democrat by Open Left, as one of the Democratic Rep's that supports Bush the most.

Fallon won a surprising 3rd place finish in the 2006 Democratic primary for Governor by building a strong grassroots organization. He won 26% when he was expected to get less than 5% at the start of the campaign. Fallon won Polk Co. and was the top vote getter in the 3rd district.

Fallon is socially liberal and fiscally conservative. He has pushed public financing of elections, universal health care, ending corporate tax give aways, and has never taken money from lobbyists and PAC's.

The caucuses showed there is a populist wave riding across Iowa and Fallon could ride that to Congress.

Here is some more background info.

Michelle Obama: We Suffer a Deficit of Empathy

noneed4thneed

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Monday December 31, 2007 · 7:30 PM PST

2007/12/31 · 19:30

I have seen a lot of political speeches from a lot of different candidate on both sides of the political spectrum this year. This afternoon, I heard the best one of them all when Michelle Obama spoke at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, Iowa.

Michelle began saying that throughout her travels around the country she has noticed that, despite all the talk about what divides our nation, our nation is really close to being united behind common values. She said she is out campaigning, not necessarily because of her husband, but because of her two young girls and what their future will look like. The country today is disconnected, isolated, and full of cynicism. This is caused by our nation being guided by fear. We have become a nation afraid of everyone and everything. Fear is clouding our judgement and cuts off people from their communities and the rest of the world. Our children inherit this fear.

Children in a world driven by fear become doubters, are hesitant, are insulate, and timid.

noneed4thneed

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Saturday December 29, 2007 · 8:02 AM PST

2007/12/29 · 08:02

A Marshalltown family had their home vandalized on Christmas Eve. Their Christmas gifts were stolen and hateful remarks towards Obama and racial slurs were spray painted on the walls.

The mother, who is a precinct captain for Obama, called the Obama captain office in town to tell them what happened. Two staff members went to the house to help clean up. Without the family knowing, another staff member and some volunteers went shopping to purchase gifts for the family's two girls, so they would have present to open on Christmas.

Yesterday, Barack Obama was in town for a campaign event at the local high school. Away from the cameras, in a classroom down the hall from the event, Obama meant privately with the family.

The family are already supporters of Obama, but this event shows that the words Obama speaks on the campaign trail aren't for show. They are about taking the little actions to help people and save Christmas for a family.

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FBI Infiltrates University of Iowa Peace Group

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IA-03: Boswell Believed Bush

Obama Gains A National Delegate at Iowa's 4th District Convention

You Get What You Pay For

Michigan's Primary Should have been Yesterday

Strong Action Needed in Iowa to Cut Energy Use

Lost in the Tears

Bush Dog Gets Primary Challenge in Iowa's 3rd District

Michelle Obama: We Suffer a Deficit of Empathy

Obama Saves Christmas for Iowa Family