IOWA AG Joins 1/3 Iowa Legislature Endorsing Kerry

[sandnsea]

January 09, 2004 - For Immediate Release
Davenport, IA -

At a roundtable discussion with workers in Davenport, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller today endorsed John Kerry for President. Tom Miller, who is the only statewide elected official to back a candidate, was the top vote-getter among those seeking state office in 2002. At the time, he received 61.6 percent of the vote.

“John Kerry has the character, skill and judgment to win a national election for President and perform in a way that will make us all proud. Since his days as a prosecutor, Kerry has always stood up to special interests to protect the rights of ordinary Americans,” said Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. “John Kerry wants an America where people are back to work, corporate criminals who loot pensions and savings are in jail, and civil rights and civil liberties are no longer under attack.”

Tom Miller has served as Iowa’s chief law enforcement officer since 1978, with a four year hiatus from 1991 to 1994. He served as President of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) and as a legislative assistant to John C. Culver, who was then a State Representative. A native of Dubuque, he ran his own law practice and first ran for Attorney General in 1974.

Miller joins 27 state legislators who have endorsed John Kerry. Kerry has the support of over a third of the Democratic Caucus in the Iowa Legislature, which is more than double that of any other candidate.

“I am honored to have the support of Tom Miller. Tom’s reputation for integrity and hard work is well regarded across Iowa,” said John Kerry. “From cracking down on phone scams that targeted seniors to working for improvements in the juvenile justice system, Tom is truly the ‘people’s lawyer.’ I’m energized by his endorsement and his help in the state leading up to the Iowa caucus.”

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0109a.html

[helleborient]

1. Congrats John Kerry! (n/t)

[Padraig18]

2. Congratulations!

:toast:

[CMT]

3. this is good news for JK

he will do better than expected in Iowa and it may give him some momentum in NH.

[helleborient]

4. Kerry did say the other day that endorsements were unimportant...

After Bill Bradley endorsed Howard Dean.

I suppose he has changed his mind again.

These endorsements and the Tom Harkin endorsement of Dean are very important.

[ShimokitaJer]

5. No, he said endorsements of Dean were unimportant

Endorsements of Kerry are another matter altogether.

[blm]

28. Yeah...Kerry doesn't have his supporters hounding people

to keep propping him up because Kerry isn't a fraud.

[HFishbine]

6. "the only statewide elected official to back a candidate"

Not any more.

[JI7]

11. came out before harkins

i'm sure it was written before harkin's endorsement of dean was made public.

[HFishbine]

19. This post came after

No matter. It s good thing for Kerry and I shouldn't be so snide. Congratulations Kerry camp!

[janx]

7. congratulations!

n/t

[Jerseycoa]

8. Congrats

:toast:

[LuminousX]

9. Don't count Kerry out just yet.

This will give him some clout in the caucus for certain. He'll gain some organizational benefit from it as well. Good job Kerry and Kerry supporters.

[maddezmom]

32. agree

and might give him a bump in NH, too. :)

[maddezmom]

10. congrats to John Kerry and his supporters :)

[TexasSissy]

12. Congratulations to Kerry. Finally some good news for him.

I can say that, being a Clark supporter and Clark not running in IA.

I have been feeling sorry for Kerry. His hopes were so high, but the campaign got off to a bad start and has gotten nowhere so far, it seems. Not a dig. I'm being sincere.

[Blaukraut]

13. Congrats!

Way to go, John :-)

[NewYorkerfromMass]

14. another good one today for Kerry

in addition to the QC Times.

http://www.qctimes.com/internal.php?story_...on&c=22,1022697

[sandnsea]

15. The QC Times was awesome

Hope most Iowans are as wise as those folks!

[Ficus]

16. Miller used to support Lieberman

because Miller is a DLC member!

Not to draw any links between Kerry and the DLC...that wasn't the intention.

[JI7]

18. many people are in the dlc

john kerry, eliot spitzer, jennifer granholm, etc.

[sandnsea]

21. Spitzer & Granholm??

I didn't know that. They're both great people.

[JI7]

23. yeah, granholm spoke at an event

i saw granholm speak at one of the gatherings they held on cspan. she did a great job. so did janet napolitano (sp?)the governor of arizona. i think they spoke as part of a segment on women in elected office, although they spoke on many issues.

and spitzer and kerry show the differences that do exist among members of the dlc. and that many are great people. i was also surprised to see spitzer on the list, but that's when i started to think more about it rather than just see the dlc as something bad.and i believe james mcgreevy, the governor of new jersey who endorsed howard dean is a member of the dlc also. and dean himself was in the dlc.

[Ficus]

22. didn't know that about Kerry

DLC can tend to be a swear word around here...

[JI7]

24. yeah, that's why

i think it's important to look at the individual person also rather than just part of a group.

[Ficus]

25. agreed

I like Miller. I hope he runs for Governor in '06 here. He'd make a great Governor.

[blm]

26. Dean is to the RIGHT of many in the DLC.

Can you think of ANY Dem who would make such a right wingnut comment about judges?


Rutland Herald, Wednesday, July 30, 1997

GOVERNOR’S COURT PICKS STIR CRITICS

By Diane Derby

Vermont Press Bureau

MONTPELIER – As Gov. Howard B. Dean was mulling his second appointment to the Vermont Supreme Court earlier this month, he made little effort to mask his distaste for some of the court’s recent decisions.
>>>>>
“I’m looking to steer the court back towards consideration of the rights of the victims”, Dean said three weeks ago in a radio interview with Bob Kinzel of the Vermont News Service. “I’m looking to make it easier to convict guilty people and not have as many technicalities interfere with justice, and I’ll appoint someone to fit that bill”.

Asked if that reflected a “get-tough-on-crime” approach, Dean responded: “I’m looking for someone who is for justice. My beef about the judicial system is that it does not emphasize truth and justice over lawyering. It emphasizes legal technicalities and rights of the defendants and all that.”
Such comments may play well with the general public, but they have sent a chill through the collective spine of lawyers – particularly defense lawyers – around the state.

Throughout his six-year tenure, Dean’s public chiding of the judiciary has led many lawyers to question the doctor-governor’s grasp of constitutional law. In their eyes, Dean views the protections contained in the Bill of Rights as mere “technicalities”.
>>>>>>
“Dean is just ignorant. I don’t think he understands what judges ought to do.” Says Michael Mello, a Vermont Law School professor who teaches advanced courses in constitutional law. “He perceives the Supreme Court as being broken in some way and sees himself on a mission to fix it.”
>>>>>>>>

[Hep]

17. That's outstanding!

Kudos to Kerry for that. Must be a dagger in Gep's heart.

Get it? Gep's heart? Gephardt? I'm here all week.

[JaneQPublic]

20. Good news for Kerry and his supporters! (nt)

[Ficus]

27. I know one IA Senator

who is between Kerry and Dean on an endorsement. I keep telling this person to endorse Kerry (even though I support Kucinich, this person doesn't). Without giving away any details, I'll just say that this person's endorsement could mean a lot, at least as much as a State Senator's endorsement could be without it being our Minority leader.

I have this person's ear because they are in my immediate family. It seems to me that a lot of the legislature really likes Kerry.

I'll put another bug in this person's ear later today!

[iowapeacechief]

30. Only if there's zero chance for Dennis!

Good luck lobbying.

[JNelson6563]

29. Good for you Senator Kerry!

Nice endorsement for him today! :toast:

I'd have no problem supporting and voting for Kerry in the GE.

Julie

[iowapeacechief]

31. Very nice!

Congratulations, Kerry campaign!

Tom Miller is a great catch. (I'm glad he's moved from Lieberman.)