A bumper sticker, yesterday, on a vehicle at the Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa.

Previously:

The Harkin Steak Fry 2013 – photos (September 15, 2013)

We made the four and a half our drive through the rain to Indianola, Iowa for the 36th annual Harkin Steak Fry, held this year at the Warren County Fairgrounds. The featured speakers were San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and Vice President Joe Biden. After a few early bouts of rain the sky held back for the rest of the event. There was well over a thousand people in attendance, not counting a significant contingent of national media.

Our friend from previous years, Nick Lucy.

Senator Tom Harkin, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, and Vice President Joe Biden.

Vice President Joe Biden greeting steak fry volunteers.

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro.

Vice President Joe Biden.

Part of the crowd and the main media riser.

After his speech Vice President Biden spent well over a half hour greeting people on the rope line.

Scott Walker borrows a page from Michele Bachmann

May 29, 2013 5:00 am  •  Cap Times editorial

When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker traveled to Iowa last week to gin up talk about a possible 2016 presidential run, he borrowed a page from Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann….

….He thanked Iowans for their support in Wisconsin’s 2012 recall election, which sort of made sense, as Walker’s campaign was heavily funded with out-of-state money. Of course, most of that money came from states like Texas and California and Florida. But Iowa did its part….

….Iowa caucus-goers may be amused by local links. But they ultimately are interested in positions and track records. And Walker will, ultimately, have to explain why the policies he has implemented in Wisconsin have failed so dismally to renew the state’s economy. Wisconsin under Walker has dropped from a No. 11 ranking for job creation to a No. 44 ranking. That puts Wisconsin behind Iowa and all of its neighboring states on what a lot of voters think is the primary measure of a governor – and, presumably, a presidential candidate….

That left a mark.

A sign along U.S. 151 in Wisconsin, on the way to Iowa.

There are just as many signs and bumper stickers still visible in Wisconsin berating Scott Walker (r) as those that support him. That would make the Wisconsin Governor a polarizing political figure. And the perfect republican nominee for President.

Somehow I don’t think we’ll be seeing Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (r) schmoozing Iowa voters at the Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola this September. That ain’t his crowd.

Previously:

Harkin Steak Fry 2012 – photos (September 16, 2012)

Harkin Steak Fry 2012 – Road Trip (September 16, 2012)

The 35th Annual Harkin Steak Fry: Getting a Jump on 2016 (September 17, 2012)

Harkin Steak Fry 2012 – press availability with Sen. Tom Harkin (D) and Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) (September 17, 2012)  

Previously:

Harkin Steak Fry 2012 – photos (September 16, 2012)

Harkin Steak Fry 2012 – Road Trip (September 16, 2012)

The 35th Annual Harkin Steak Fry: Getting a Jump on 2016 (September 17, 2012)

After we checked in at the media table at the Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on Sunday we had a few hours to eat, walk the Warren County Fairgrounds site, visit with people, and take a few photographs before the press availability with the host, Senator Tom Harkin (D), and his guest, the featured speaker, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley.

We gathered with the rest of the media at the appointed hour and were ushered to an area next to one of the outdoor grills.

Senator Tom Harkin (D) at the press availability at the 35th Annual Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 16, 2012.

The transcript:

Senator Tom Harkin (D): …So, welcome again to the thirty-fifth Harkin Steak Fry.  Uh, we’ve had a lot of great speakers in the, in the past and we have another great speaker today, a good friend, uh, the Governor of Maryland, Martin O’Malley who has just done great things in his state. I’m kind of jealous, really, quite frankly. Uh, I chair the Education Committee in the Senate and, uh, you know, we look at all the different states and what’s happening. And it was brought to my attention that Maryland now, uh, exceeds all states in the number of kids who pass through advanced placement tests. To me that says something about Governor O’Malley’s devotion to education in his state. He’s kept tuition down in his state. Uh, and so, the way I see it, he’s put money in to, in to schools, rebuilding schools, school construction, renovation, so, uh, my way of thinking, he’s a, he’s my education governor and has done a lot of great things for education. Since we take pride in our education in Iowa I wanted to have him come out and meet Iowans and, and, uh, talk to our steak fry. So, nice to have Martin O’Malley here from Maryland.

Governor Martin O’Malley (D): Senator, thank you. I’m a huge fan of your senator. Senator Harkin, more than any other senator, I think, in the U.S. Senate has accomplished things that reach all across our country. I mean, I don’t know another senator that’s, uh, touched as many lives in as many real ways as he has with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Uh, every family, every community, we were talking on the way up here, how gratifying it must be to run in to people from towns and places you’d never ever been who thank you for what you’ve done for their family members and, and for themselves. So, uh, look, I’m, I’m honored to be here. Uh, we, uh, I’m also the chair of the Democratic Governors Association and, uh, this is state that we intend to win in two thousand and fourteen. Democratic governors are all about doing the things that work in order to improve, uh, education, improve public safety, create jobs and expand opportunity. We’re not ideologues. We believe that you bring people together to do the things that work. And that’s the sort of leadership that Senator Harkin brought to the U.S. Senate. And, uh, so, uh, I’m, I’m very, very honored to be here. Thank you for the nice things you’ve said about what the people of my state have accomplished. In the toughest of times our state’s been able to move forward, improving education, improving public safety, and, and really giving our kids a better shot at being winners in this new economy. So, I’m honored to be here and it’s been great to meet all your friends and look forward, uh, to working with you to, uh, help the people of Iowa elect a new democratic governor in two thousand fourteen…

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley at the Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa, September 16, 2012.

…Senator Harkin:  And carry it for Barrack Obama this year, too. We’re gonna, we’re, we’re gonna work hard to carry, uh, Iowa for Iowa. He carried it last time. It’s a close race in Iowa. Uh, I, I, rode out on the plane with him a couple of weeks ago and as you know he’s taken a bus tour across Iowa, he’s been to, here a couple three times, he was here with, uh, Joe Biden and Jill, and his wife just a couple weeks ago, well, just the day after the, after the convention. And he’ll be here a lot of times, uh, uh, Vice President Biden’s gonna be here the next couple of days here in Iowa. So I can tell yah, uh, President Obama told me personally that they are investing a lot in this state and they intend to win Iowa. And we intend to carry it for him.

Question: Governor O’Malley, how difficult is it to begin this process of testing the waters in Iowa before the two thousand twelve election has actually even been held?

Governor O’Malley:  Oh, I don’t know, that’s not what I’m doing. I’m here for, uh, I’m here because my friend Senator Harkin asked me come. And Iowa’s a very important state to President Obama and to the reelection of the President which is very important to the people of my state. I mean, in Maryland the things we’ve been able to do, Race to the Top, improving education, improving public safety, those things wouldn’t have been possible without President Obama help, without the help of, and the courageous votes of people like Senator Harkin. And, um, Democratic governors, uh, need our President to be reelected so we can continue to make progress for our people. It’s, it’s a great honor to be invited here and, um, I’m, I’m looking forward to, uh, meeting the senator’s friends, and, most importantly, I’m looking forward to helping the people of Iowa, uh, as we move forward and, and elect more Democratic governors across our country in the years ahead.

Question: Governor, since you’ve brought up twenty-fourteen, uh, in your roll with the Governors Association, are you actively scouting Democratic candidates for governor here? And have you had any conversations specifically with former Governor Culver.

Governor O’Malley: Well. I know Senator, I mean, I know Governor Culver. In fact, Governor Culver and I both traveled to Iraq together. And, uh, you know, he, uh, his soldiers, his men and women in uniform were serving there with men and women from Maryland and we’d swap flags and cell phone cameras whenever we came across  groups of our, our people. So, I like, uh, I like Governor Culver and his wife, Mary. They’re good friends of mine. I mean, ultimately, in every primary the Democratic Governors, kinda, the DGA takes a step back and people in every state have to figure out their own, uh, politics in their primary. And, uh, it’s, having spent some time in Iowa I believe that the people of Iowa, when we give them a choice of moving forward or falling back, always choose to move forward. That’s in your DNA. And I think that’s what you’re going to do again when the opportunity, uh, of the governor’s race  comes up.

Question: Senator Harkin, what’s the number one message you hope to communicate during today’s program?

Senator Harkin:  Well, I think that the number one message is sort of what, uh, Governor O’Malley said. Uh, progress. We gotta keep moving forward. We can’t go back. And if you listen to the Republican party’s platform, read it, and listen to what they’re saying, as I will say today, they want to take us back before Roosevelt. Not Franklin Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt. Uh, I mean, undo all of the, kind of the, the social contract that we have built up in America since the nineteen, early nineteen hundreds. Uh, the social contract dealing with education, with health care, with the environment, uh, jobs, retraining. We’ve built a wonderful social contract in this country. And, and don’t take my word for it, but, Bruce Bartlett who was President Reagan’s economic advisor said that this Ryan budget is a monstrosity. A monstrosity in terms of shredding the social contract. And, to me, that’s what’s at stake in this election. And that’s the message I want to get across, that, that, uh, we’ve gotta redouble our efforts and work hard. We’re not gonna have as much money. I saw a figure the other day, I, I can’t vouch for it, but in the super PACs and all these ads you’re seeing that you don’t know where a lot of the money’s coming from, that we’re being outspent over ten to one. So, it’s gonna take, uh, boots on the ground, people working hard to get our vote out.

[….]

Question:  Is this, I mean, everybody says this is gonna be decided on the economy. How much is foreign policy starting to become a key issue in this race?

Senator Harkin:  I, I think what, what Governor Romney did this week in stepping into this fray in Libya, terrible thing that happened to our ambassador and other Americans, I, I think, you know, when it comes to foreign policy you just can’t shoot from the hip. And I think it indicates to me, and this is my own view, Rod, I’m just saying this, that it seemed to me that Romney was more intent on scoring some kind of political points then he was in buttressing America’s foreign policy. And I think that’s why you saw so many Republicans running away from him on it. [….]

Governor O’Malley:  I, I think, uh, I think you’re exactly right. The, it’s, it’s complicated, it’s a complicated world that we live in, but I think that when you look at, uh, when you compare our president, his stature, the, uh, the manner in which he carries himself in the international arena and the, and guides our country, and moves it forward and contrast that with former Governor Romney, who has a difficult time even being a good guest at another nation’s Olympics, I think there’s really no, no contest there. I mean, uh, President Obama is our commander in chief, and, uh, in a complicated time, uh, he’s moving our country forward, leading us forward, and I think that that’s, uh, pretty clear, uh, as people, uh, make their decisions about this race. I mean, there is no progress without jobs. But at the same time, one of the jobs of our commander in chief is to represent us in an increasingly complicated international world.

Question: Governor, you’ve mentioned that you’ve been to Iraq. Are there other ways that you have, uh, moved to inform yourself about foreign policy, um, as a governor?

Governor O’Malley:  Oh, I don’t know, as Democratic Governors we focus on jobs and opportunity and bringing people together to make the tough decisions now. Uh, and, and that’s what we do. Uh, and at the same time we also know that the more we can open up markets around the world to the services and the goods that are produced in our states, whether it’s Maryland or Iowa, but that creates jobs here at home. And, uh, I think the people of Iowa and the people of Maryland actually share a, a pretty, uh, uh, a pretty inspiring opportunity right now, to figure out new ways to feed, fuel and heal this world of ours. And you see innovations happening in our state and, and here in your state, uh, that allow us to do that, from biofuels to wind energy to, uh, the cures that allow us to be a healing force in the world. I, I think it’s an exciting time, uh, to, for us as, uh, to be American.

[….]

The 35th annual Harkin Steak Fry was held at the Warren County Fairgrounds in Indianola, Iowa this afternoon. When there’s a contested Democratic Party presidential primary race in the year before the quadrennial presidential election this event is the place to be for candidates and political activists and followers in Iowa. In other years there are always prominent national Democratic Party speakers, Iowa candidates and office holders, and maybe a future presidential candidate or two testing the Iowa waters.

There’s food with plenty of speeches after the food. The outdoor venue includes a seating area for the speeches along with tents and long tables for dining (and watching the goings on). No, they do not actually fry the steaks, they’re grilled. Today there were approximately one thousand people in attendance at the event.

The weather was comfortably warm with partly cloudy skies. In past years we’ve slogged through the rain and mud or had gloriously beautiful weather. Either way, it’s all a fun part of the event.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D) (far right) and Senator Tom Harkin (D) (right) at the press availability

at the 35th Annual Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 16, 2012.

Christie Vilsack (D), former Iowa First Lady and candidate for Congress in Iowa’s 4th Congressional District.

The Harkin Steak Fry is also an opportunity for Iowa Democratic Party activists and supporters to get together and share their politics.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D), the featured speaker at the 2012 Harkin Steak Fry.

A number of Iowa Democratic party candidates and organizations had information tables with campaign and issue swag.

Congressman Bruce Braley (D).

Congressman Dave Loebsack (D).

Congressman Leonard Boswell (D).

Christie Vilsack (D).

Current U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack (D).

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D) greets the crowd on the way to the stage.

Senator Tom Harkin (D).

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley (D).

Yeah, we’re at it again. It’s time for the annual Harkin Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa. We piled into the car early this morning for the road trip

Fog, you say.

Fog of another sort.

President Obama at a campaign event in Boone, Iowa on August 13, 2012:

President Obama: Over the weekend my opponent chose as running mate the ideological leader of the Republicans in Congress. And, I’ve gotten to know Congressman Ryan, he’s a good man, he’s a family man. He’s a very articulate spokesperson for Governor Romney’s vision. The problem is, it’s the wrong vision for America. [applause] It’s a vision that I fundamentally disagree with.

Their main recipe for solving America’s problems is getting rid of regulations on big corporations, big banks, and then giving more tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans. And their theory is that somehow that’s gonna lead to jobs and prosperity for everybody. In fact, the centerpiece of Governor Romney’s entire economic plan is a new five trillion dollar tax cut, a lot of it going to the wealthiest Americans. Now, keep in mind these are the folks who say the deficit and the debt are the biggest problem we’ve got. And yet they now want to give a five trillion dollar tax cut.

I know these numbers get so big, but I just want you to get a sense, our entire defense budget annually is five hundred billion dollars. So, what this means is, a five trillion dollar tax break over ten years. that’s the equivalent of the entire defense budget going out as a tax cut every single year. Now keep in mind that this is going disproportionally to the wealthiest Americans.

Last week we found out that Governor Romney expects you, middle class families, to pick up the tab for this big tax cut. [voices: “No.”] No, and, and please don’t take my word for it. You can go to their web sites and look at their plan. And then independent economists have looked at this thing and they said that Governor Romney’s tax plan would actually raise taxes on middle class families with children by an average of two thousand dollars. [voices: “No.”] Now, keep in, keep in mind this is not two thousand dollars to reduce the deficit or to grow jobs or to invest in education or make college more affordable or to rebuild our roads. This is two thousand dollars to give another two hundred and fifty thousand dollar tax cut to people making more than three million dollars a year.

Now let, let me just see, see a show of hands, how many folks are making, uh, more than three million dollars a year? [laughter] Okay, this guy back here, while. [laughter] I’m looking for a campaign contribution. [laughter, applause] The, uh. [cheers]

Let, let, let, let me tell you something. Uh, they have tried to sell us this trickle down fairy dust before [laughter] [voice: “It don’t work.”] And it did not work then, it won’t work now. [voice: “You’re right, man.”] It’s not a plan to create jobs, it’s not a plan to cut the deficit and it’s not a plan to move our economy forward. We don’t need more tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. We don’t need a tax cut for Mr. Romney. We don’t need a tax cut for me. [applause] We need tax relief for middle class families who are out there [applause, cheers] working to make sure that their kids are healthy and their kids can go to college. That’s, that’s the choice in this election. [applause, cheers]

It’s destined to become one of the great quotes in American politics.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA GRASSROOTS EVENT

July 10, 2012

Dateline: Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Venue Information: Kirkwood Community College

Road Map to Cedar Rapids Grassroots Event

President Obama believes our economy grows from the middle out. That’s why yesterday, he called on Congress to immediately extend the middle-class tax cuts scheduled to expire at the end of this year and prevent a tax increase on the 98 percent of families who earn less than $250,000 a year.  That action would prevent a typical middle-class family of four from seeing their taxes go up $2,200. As President Obama made clear, if both parties agree that middle-class families shouldn’t face a tax increase, there’s no reason to delay providing them with the certainty that they won’t see a tax hike. At the same time, under the President’s plan the tax cuts that benefit only high-income taxpayers will expire. These steps are part of his plan to cut the deficit by more than $4 trillion by ensuring that everyone pays their fair share and cutting waste, so that we can invest in what we need to grow our economy and strengthen the middle class, like education and clean energy.  President Obama has already cut taxes for a typical Iowa family by $3,600 over four years, helping families afford to send their children to college, buy their first home, pay for health care and child care.  These tax cuts also helped the economy recover from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.

Previously:

President Obama in Cedar Rapids, Iowa – photos (July 10, 2012)

Iowa – full circle, of sorts (July 11, 2012)

President Obama in Cedar Rapids, Iowa – photos, part 2 (July 11, 2012)

President Obama spoke at a campaign event at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Tuesday. Approximately sixteen hundred people were in attendance in the hall (with plenty of media, too).

The president addressed the economy, jobs, the recovery and about sustaining middle class tax cuts (and not so for the two percent).

Previously:

President Obama in Cedar Rapids, Iowa – photos (July 10, 2012)

Iowa – full circle, of sorts (July 11, 2012)

President Obama at a campaign event at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on July 10, 2012.

Chant: “four more years!”

[….]

President Obama: ….And Abraham Lincoln is in the house. [cheers, applause] My, my home boy from Illinois. [laughter, applause] [inaudible] a Republican endorsee. [laughter, applause]….

Abraham Lincoln was in attendance.

[….]

President Obama: ….The stakes in this election could not be bigger. [voice: “That’s right.”] What’s at stake is bigger than two candidates, it’s bigger than two political parties, what’s at stake is two very different visions for our country. And Cedar Rapids, the choice that we make will help determine our direction for years to come. That choice is going to be up to you. [voice: “Obama!”][cheers, applause]

This, this will be my last political campaign no matter what. No, no, I’ve got nothing left to run for. [laughter][voice: “Supreme Court.”]….

[….]    

Greeting the crowd.

[….]

President Obama: ….This election, this election will determine our economic future for the next generation. And frankly, the choice could not be clearer. My opponent, his allies in Congress, they sincerely believe that prosperity comes from the top down. [voices: “No.”] they believe that if we spend trillions more on tax cuts, mostly for the wealthy, that it’ll somehow create more jobs. [voices: “No.”] Even if we have to pay for it by gutting education [voices: “No.”], stop helping students at community colleges with Pell Grants [voices: “No.”], cutting back on training [voices: “No.”], raising middle class taxes [voices: “No.”]. They believe that if we roll back regulations that we put in place on banks and insurance companies and oil companies all meant to protect our people and our economy that somehow everybody’s gonna be better off [voices: “No.”]. I think they’re wrong. [Voices: “Yeah”][applause]….

[….]

[….]

President Obama: ….Now, we’ve got a choice to make. Because on January first taxes are scheduled to go up on everybody in America. That, that’s what the law says right now, if we don’t do anything, Congress doesn’t do anything, taxes will go up on everybody at the end of this year.

Yesterday I called on Congress to stop any tax hikes for ninety-eight percent of Americans who are just like [….] [voice: “Thank you.], just like you. [cheers, applause] Because if the Congress does that then that tax hike would cost up to twenty-two hundred dollars for a family of four. That wouldn’t just be a big financial hit for [….], ’cause as they pointed out, this is what I love about America, what I love about them, they said, you know, as tight as things may be for us, we’re a lot better of than a lot of folks we know. [voices: “Right.”] So, imagine if it’s tough for them what it’s gonna be for somebody else. [voice: “Like my mom.”] Like your mom. [voice: “That’s right.”] Well, it, it would be not only a huge blow to those families, it would be a big blow to our entire economy at a time when we need all the help we can get.

Now, I believe that we should make sure that taxes on the ninety-eight percent of Americans [voice: “Yeah.”] don’t go up and then we should let the tax cuts expire for folks like me, for the top two percent of Americans [applause, cheers].

So, anybody making over two hundred fifty thousand dollars a year, including me, we’ll go back to the tax rate we were paying under Bill Clinton, which, by the way, was a time when our economy created nearly twenty-three million new jobs [cheers, applause], the biggest surplus in history, and created [inaudible]. [applause, cheers]

And, by the way, the reason I say that is not because I just love to pay taxes. [laughter] It’s because I know I can afford it and to give me another tax break or to give Warren Buffet another tax break, or give Mitt Romney another tax break [voices: “No.”] that would cost, that would cost about a trillion dollars and we can’t afford it. Not at a time when we’re trying to bring down our deficit. Not at a time when we’re trying to reduce our debt.

[….]

And for us to give a trillion dollars worth of tax breaks to folks who don’t need it [applause], the folks that don’t need it and aren’t even asking for it, that doesn’t make sense. [voices: “No.”]

Now, the Republicans in Congress and Mister Romney disagree with me. And that’s what Democracy’s all about. They want more tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans on top of the existing Bush tax cuts, they’re wanting to give five trillion dollars more in tax cuts [voices: “No.”, voice: “No way.”] A          nd that fight is a big part of what this election’s about. We’re gonna have to debate, here in Iowa and all across the country.

But in the mean time, doesn’t it make sense for us to agree to keep taxes low for ninety-eight percent of Americans [voice: “That’s right.”] who are working hard [applause, cheers] and can’t afford a tax hike right now?….

[….]

[….]

President Obama: ….I’m running because I believe nobody in America should go broke just because they get sick. [cheers, applause] Our health care law was the right thing to do.[cheers, applause]inaudible] And you know what? I will work with anybody to improve the health care law where we can. This law’s here to stay. [cheers, applause] [inaudible]….

[….]

At the end of the speech.

Getting a photo on the “rope line” after President Obama’s speech.