Whether it's an earthquake or a tsunami, something big is coming to the heartland. Survey USA calls Iowa solid blue, with Obama up 48 to 45 in the deep red northwest corner of the state, and 54 to 41 statewide. Those are potentially some coattails.
Rob Hubler is running against Steve King in Iowa's Fifth District, one of the red ones. As Desmoinesdem points out, Democrats can get elected in red and purple districts. Iowa may be about to elect two more. Today the DCCC added Rob Hubler to the Emerging Races list, and moved Becky Greenwald to the Red to Blue list in the Fourth District.
No one would accuse the DCCC of acting precipitously. With three weeks to go, they should have been running ads in both of these districts a long time ago. Both are winnable, but DCCC money is a big help if given in time to matter. Hubler is running an aggressive grass-roots campaign, and the Council Bluffs market is being bombarded with Obama TV ads from the Omaha market, which is also helping Jim Esch in Nebraska's Second District. Greenwald is on the air with ads, and her incumbent is running scared.
Rob Hubler has what it takes to beat a Republican in a red district. He is a great progressive, but he is attuned to the economic issues that the farmers and others in this rural district really care about.
Hubler is a Navy veteran who often wears a "Silent Service" cap from his years on submarines. He is a retired Presbyterian minister, and has taught severely disabled children. He presents his life as lived in response to calls to service. His campaign motto is "Real Representation" for Iowa 5. You can contribute here to his campaign.
Hubler's opponent, Steve King, did not even have a campaign organization until recently, and is drawing teeny crowds at "Ask Steve" events around the district. He refuses to debate Hubler, and is apparently relying on TV ads and the GOP registration margin as his reelection strategy. He recently shared with the Des Moines Register, on video, his lack of shame for the comments he made last spring about Obama, saying that Al Qaeda would be dancing in the streets if Obama won. If you want to see what wingnut looks like, go watch.
The DCCC put Iowa's other Democratic challenger, Becky Greenwald, on this list a few weeks ago, then moved her up to the money list today.
Her opponent, Tom Latham is fighting hard, and just started running negative ads. Becky has held her own in radio debates, although Latham has not agreed to go on TV with her.
You would not know that Latham is a Republican if you listened to him lately, although he, like Steve King, has been a reliable GOP footsoldier for Bush. Latham has been slightly more reliable than King, who occasionally parts with his party because it is too darn liberal. But even King removed mention of the GOP from his website, except in a recent poll asking whose fault the meltdown is. "Republicans" was one of the poll choices, and when the votes for that option soared, he took it down.
Money is the mother's milk of politics, some guy said. It helps tremendously. There is no substitute for being able to buy airtime. And that takes cash. Greenwald's addition to the Red to Blue list will mean money for her campaign.
But until and unless the DCCC or some other national organization decides to help Hubler, he depends on the generosity and commitment to change of individual Democrats in Iowa and beyond. If you can't contribute cash, consider convincing others to do so. For example, you can ask the DFA to support Hubler here.
And if you are part of an organization that should be opposed to King, you could ask that attention should be given to this race. Based on his statements and voting record, King dislikes immigrants, Muslims, Katrina victims, unions, Joe Wilson, Nancy Pelosi, poor children, veterans, renewable energy, the "hardcore left" (you know who you are), and anything sponsored by a Democrat (partial list). He hearts oil companies and nativist groups. There is something there for everybody. I heard today that the SEIU has $8 million to spend, and King has a 0% voting record on their issues. He gets an "F" from teachers. Pro-choice? I don't think so. And if you are not a fan of drilling in ANWR, the sheer crazy in this speech duet between King and Minnesota's Michelle Bachmann is not to be missed.
There's an earthquake building here in Iowa. The anger of voters comes through loud and clear to those of us who are doorknocking in this state. If your progressive congress member is in a safe seat, consider helping to expand the map.