Iowa Republicans pick Pawlenty -- to headline GOP event

It seems early to be talking about the 2012 presidential election -- after all, we haven't even had the 2010 congressional one -- but this is Iowa we're talking about. You know, first in the nation, caucus state, informed voters, yada yada.

So more than a few political commentators took notice today when Iowa Republicans announced that Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty will be the headline speaker at the "Leadership for Iowa" event at the State Fairgrounds in Des Moines Nov. 7, where he will share the stage with Republican candidates for governor.

Matt Strawn, chairman of the Iowa Republican Party, called Pawlenty "an innovative, conservative leader" and predicted his "message of balanced budgets, lower taxes, and market-based reforms for healthcare and education will resonate with all Iowans."

It may be three years before the election, but as the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza points out, two of Pawlenty's likely opponents -- former Govs. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and Mitt Romney of Massachusetts -- finished one-two in the last Iowa caucus.

Never too early to campaign in Iowa, apparently.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo Credit: Associated Press

Click here for Twitter alerts of each Ticket item. Or follow us @latimestot. We're also on Facebook.

Why Chuck Grassley should probly knot use the Twitter

No one wants their representative looking like a twit while surfing through the interweb tubes.

But while it's commendable for gray-haired senators to embrace new technologies to communicate with their constituents, some people are really doing more harm than good. Today's example comes from the conservative Republican senator from Iowa, Chuck Grassley, who was obviously instructed that it's OK to abbreviate words in his tweets.

While it's true that the 140-character limit of Twitter is contradictory to the long-winded behavior of many representatives, when you're talking about schools and education, maybe you should consider a different approach than abbrevatin' like a newbie trying to be kewl.   

This is the same Sen. Grassley who in June tweeted at the president, claiming that Obama "had nerve" to encourage Congress from Paris to get serious about the healthcare bill.

While new media barbs might be interesting to one's followers (virtual and otherwise), today's tweet was either a clunker of a joke, or an unfortunate attempt to squeeze 160 characters of thought into 140 letters.

Grassley has explained previously why he has used Twitter and why he doesn't plan on abandoning the free tool. “I’ve tried to use every latest technology to keep in touch with constituents. Representative government is a two-way street,” the senator told the Iowa Independent this summer. “I’m one half of that, my constituent’s the other.”

May I suggest that either the senator creates a blog where he can be as verbose as he pleases (and then uses Twitter to provide a URL link to his masterworks), or use programs such as Twitzer, Twitlonger or Twerbose.

-- Tony Pierce

Speaking of Twitter, get alerts from there of each new Ticket item by clicking here. Or follow us   @latimestot

Hollywood in Iowa -- the tax credit fiasco

Ah, Iowa, land of corn -- and now, movie-making corruption.

The Farm Belt is learning a painful lesson these days in the glitzy, star-studded world of Hollywood's accounting practices: Like in the baseball movie "Field of Dreams," if you build it, they will come ... and may take your tax dollars to buy things you don't want to pay for.

On Monday, Iowa Gov. Chet Culver asked the state's auditor office, the state Department of Revenue and Iowa Atty. Gen. Tom Miller to join the investigation into the state's film tax-credit program, amid reports of flawed oversight and accounting procedures.

The growing scandal over Iowa's film tax-credit -- officially called the Film, Television and Video Project Promotion Program -- has already seen at least two politicos fall. Mike Tramontina, the director of the state Department of Economic Development -- which administered the program -- resigned from his post Friday. And today, Thomas Wheeler, the manager of the state's film office was fired.

The program is the nation's most generous, with a rebate to filmmakers of up to 50% of what they spend.

But Culver called a timeout last week, suspending the program and putting a halt on all reimbursements to film production companies. The reason: An internal audit found a number of, well, discrepancies, including using tax credits to pay for luxury vehicles that filmmakers never used in their movies.

I can just hear the film execs now: "Aren't all farmers rich because of ethanol? We really thought that Mercedes would bring authenticity to the shoot."

The press release cuts to the chase.

The governor's halt of the program has the pro-film folks in the Hawkeye state freaked out, with calls from the Iowa Motion Picture Assn. to reinstate the program. According to IMPA -- and yes, there really is such a thing -- there are four films that were shot in Des Moines and one in Council Bluffs that are all owed rebates.

And how much is this going to cost the state?  A recent story in the Des Moines Register reports that a last-minute rush by film producers could cost the state up to $300 million.

Ouch.

--P.J. Huffstutter

Photo: A "ghost player" recreating the role of Chicago White Sox legend Shoeless Joe Jackson plays ball with a young tourist at the baseball diamond created for the 1989 motion picture "Field of Dreams." Credit: Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images

Click here for Twitter alerts on each new Ticket item. Or follow us @latimestot

Gay marriage continues to stir campaigns in Iowa

The battle to legalize gay marriage in Iowa may be over, but the war to keep it so is just beginning.  Two supporters of same-sex marriage have gone to state authorities and filed a complaint against a group that helped outlaw same-sex marriage in California.

The issue revolves around an open state House seat and whether New Jersey-based National Organization for Marriage broke state campaign laws by spending more than $86,000 in TV ads to support the GOP candidate. The complaint against NOM, as it is known, was filed with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board.

Though he’s not part of the complaint, the whole issue relates to the campaign of Stephen Burgmeier, who wants to put the issue of same-sex marriage up for a public vote. His plans fit in with a campaign NOM has launched, dubbed the Reclaim Iowa Project, to overturn a state Supreme Court decision that legalized gay marriage out in the heartland.

The group’s goal is to target legislative races and help get candidates elected who want to get the issue on the ballot – and make such marriages illegal. So how big of a deal was it that ...

Iowa caucuses move to Saturday in '10, likely '12; Good seats available

Anyone who's anyone who likes endless talking will want to mark their January 2010 calendars now: And book a ticket on the train.

The Iowa caucuses, those clumsy, endless exercises in evening democracy while the farmfields sleep every other January, have been moved. They will no longer be on a weekday evening with everyone having to get up early in a few hours for work in offices, factories or livestock barns.

Now, both party's caucuses will be on a Saturday --1 p.m. Central time Jan. 23. So the Hawkeyes football season will be over. Might cut into a basketball or hockey game, but Iowa isn't Indiana or Minnesota.

The scheduling switcheroo is a bipartisan experiment in buzz generation on what are normally off-year snoozefests, with the thinking being the real caucuses in January of 2012 will also be on the weekend if things turn out successfully.

Both years' attention is likely to focus more on Republicans, who will have to come up with a challenger for incumbent Democrat Gov. Chet Culver next year. And in 2012 they'll have to do the same thing for the GOP presidential ticket, since everyone assumes aging Joe Biden will bump what's-his-name out of the way for top spot on the Democrat ticket.

Just kidding. What's-his-name will be doing the bumping.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Bump yourself into the thousands who get Twitter alerts on each new Ticket item. Click here. Or follow us   @latimestot

With Michael Jackson still dead, Democrats launch major caucus-primary reforms

Despite the nation's pop paralysis over the death of sad singer Michael Jackson, the Democratic National Committee's Change Commission begins its complicated work tomorrow of reforming the procedures, timing and rules of that party's convention delegate selection process.

What comes from this series of meetings, that sprouted from the long bitter struggle last year between Barack Obama and a New York senator, could radically alter the way Democrats pick their presidential candidates for many elections starting in 2012.

As The Ticket reported here in March, it's a delicate delegate process because certain states -- we'll call them Iowa and New Hampshire -- believe they have a right handed down by Thomas Jefferson to go first in the selection process, which is deemed to make them more important. Or at least help fill the state's hotels and restaurants and empty the rental car lots during a normal winter's months when inbound flights to Des Moines often have vacant seats.

At the "suggestion" of its nominee at last summer's Democratic National Convention in Denver, delegates voted to establish a commission to examine everything including improving the caucus process, which can seem even longer than Iowa winters, reducing the number of unpledged delegates and quite possibly tinkering with the calendar window for the caucuses and primaries for the 2012 presidential election cycle.

Co-chairs of the Change Commission are Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina. There'll be a lot of talking starting Saturday at 9:30 Eastern in the Capitol Hilton. They'll start with history lessons and a speech by DNC Chair Tim Kaine, who isn't the governor of New Jersey despite VP Joe Biden's comments.

-- Andrew Malcolm

While you're waiting for 2012, click here for Twitter alerts on each new Ticket item. Or follow us    @latimestot

Photo: Dick Whipple / Associated Press

The forgotten story behind Obama's appointment of Jim Leach

Democratic President Obama chose former Congressman Jim Leach of Iowa the other day as the new chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Leach was a veteran Republican representative who previously supported George W. Bush while serving 30 years in the House. Most recently, the 66-year-old has been teaching at Princeton, his alma mater.

The Obama move was widely hailed as another bipartisan broadening measure by the new president. But a closer look, via this C-SPAN video, reveals a bit more to the story.

Republican Leach is to Democrat Obama as longtime Democrat-nominal independent Joe Lieberman is to Republican John McCain.

Leach actually endorsed Obama before the GOP nominated its candidate last year. Leach spoke for eight minutes at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, talking critically about the Republican Party, as Lieberman did the next week about his old party during the GOP gathering in St. Paul.

Leach lavished praise on Obama as a "transcending candidate" with a "clarion call for renewal." He also praised former Vice President Al Gore, who'd chosen Lieberman as his 2000 running mate.

It's understandable that few would remember this close political tie between appointer and appointee. Judging by the chattering convention audience's reaction on the video, not many of them were listening either.

-- Andrew Malcolm

For transcending Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item, click and register here. Or follow us   @latimestot

Photo: Associated Press

As world watches Cairo, Michelle Obama shakes up White House staff

One other thing that President Obama left out of his global speech to Muslims today was word of the top-level shakeup in First Lady Michelle Obama's White House staff.

While the nation was watching the world watch Obama speak and tour in Egypt, news of the East Wing staff changes came out. Out as the old chief of staff after less than five months is Jackie Norris, who started working with Mrs. Obama during the Iowa caucus campaign.

In as the new chief of staff is Susan Sher, who's been a friend of her boss since even before they started working together years ago at the University of Chicago.

Norris was sent over to become a "senior advisor" at the Corporation for National and Community Service.

To make things look all smooth and friendly-like in a city that thrives on gossip about invisible internal conflicts, all three women issued boiler-plate statements of their longtime friendship, deep commitments and excitement about pursuing the administration's agenda.

Norris, for instance, was quoted as saying: "I am grateful to President and Mrs. Obama for the opportunities and friendship they have given me over the last few years and I am looking forward to becoming an integral part of this Administration’s efforts to advance the cause of national and community service."

The only cliche left out of the White House statement was anyone's avowed goal of spending more time with their family.

-- Andrew Malcolm

The Ticket goes inside politics several times a day. Get Twitter alerts of each new item by clicking here. Or follow us @latimestot

Poll: 4+ months into Obama, Republicans looking better to Americans

It's been seven long months since we've had an official presidential campaign going. Of course, in modern times the incumbent president in a first term is never not running. Hence, Nancy Reagan at the White House today with Barack Obama.

And so many other ongoing activities of the new Democratic administration that's taking its show to the Middle East overnight.

But a new CNN/Opinion Research poll out today takes a peek at the 2012 field of possible Republican candidates. Yeah, right. Don't make your bets now. The most important news from this poll perhaps is that as of May 14-17, no Americans didn't know of George W. Bush or John McCain.

Neither of whom could conceivably be a candidate in 2012.

However, 3% of the country still hasn't heard of this Dick Cheney fellow. Well, no one ever accused Americans of paying too much attention to the news of their democracy.

Anyway, here's what the telephone poll of 1,010 adult Americans reveals almost five months into Obama's term, all obviously designed by CNN to drive the competing talkers berserk over at the White House's favorite network:

Americans now are thinking more favorably of Bush, Cheney, McCain, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and someone named Rush Limbaugh. Their favorable numbers are all up, some significantly.

Their unfavorable ratings have all dropped, some significantly.

As The Ticket reported earlier today, Minnesota GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who was not included in the poll, announced he would not seek a third term.

Which either means he's positioning himself for a 2012 run at the GOP nomination or he wants to have more time to attend his daughter's volleyball games. (Yeah, that's what we figure too.)

The only Republican polled who did not advance in popularity was Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Her unfavorables stayed constant at 43%. But her favorable rating slipped slightly from 49% right after the Nov. 4 election to 46% today.

No, wait now. Calm down. Even down 3 points, her 46% is still better than all the other Republicans polled except McCain.

Obama, of course, has a current popularity rating north of 60%. However, that's probably mostly due to VP Joe Biden's coattails, don't you think? He won't be on the Democratic ticket in 2012.

And this time next year, when unemployment rates are still high or growing as predicted and the midterm congressional campaigns are ramping up, we'll see where all these numbers stand.

-- Andrew Malcolm

The Ticket's ratings have never been higher. Click here for automatic Twitter alerts on each new Ticket item. Or follow us   @latimestot

Photo: Charlie Neibergall / Associated Press

With new (green) hope, Barack Obama visits old Newton, Iowa -- text

Barack Obama returned to Iowa today.

No, not for that again already. Caucus preparations are still weeks away.

The president flew all the way out to midcountry in his large airplane to the Hawkeye State to talk about saving the environment and developing green energy, which a 747 isn't. But who would ever point out such an inconsistent, inconvenient truth unless it involved evil automobile chief executives in their private jets?

Anyway, Obama went to Newton. Ring a bell? Newton, Iowa? Onetime headquarters home of Maytag, a famous American thing that they don't manufacture there anymore. Nor in Searcy, Ark. Nor in Herrin, Ill. Which made even Maytag women unemployed.

Ever since 2006, one more thing that's clearly Bush's fault. No, better yet, Bush-Cheney, Obama's evil cousin. Eight long years. All that.

So here below is what the country's new chief executive said there about the good news he sees developing now in Newton. And hopefully elsewhere. We have a video excerpt down there too.

-- Andrew Malcolm

Speaking of good news, click here to get automatic Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item or follow us   @latimestot     (Bonus trivia question: What's the actor's name who played this involuntarily idled Maytag repairman?)

Remarks by President Obama at Clean Energy at Trinity Structural Towers, Newton, Iowa, April 22, 2009

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you so much. Thank you, Rich, for the great introduction. Thank you very much. Please, everybody have a seat. (UPDATE: The prepared speech opening has been edited to reflect the additional remarks the president inserted.)

It is good to be back in Newton, and it's a privilege to be here at Trinity Structural Towers.  I've got a couple of special thank-yous that I want to make, because I've got a lot of old friends -- not old in years, but been friends for a long time now. 

First of all, your outstanding governor, Chet Culver, please give him a big round of applause.  (Applause.)  His wonderful wife, Mari, I see over here.  She's not on the card, but -- (applause.)  My outstanding secretary of Agriculture, who I plucked from Iowa, Tom Vilsack and his wonderful wife, Christie Vilsack.  (Applause.) 

We've got the attorney general of Iowa, one of my co-chairs when I ran in the Iowa caucus and nobody could pronounce my name -- Tom Miller.  (Applause.)  My other co-chair, Mike Fitzgerald, treasurer of Iowa.  (Applause.)  We got the Iowa secretary of state, Mike Mauro.  There he is.  (Applause.)  We've got your outstanding member of Congress who's working hard for Newton all the time, Leonard Boswell.  (Applause.)  And your own pride of Newton, Mayor Chaz Allen.  (Applause.)  There he is, back there.  It's good to see you again, Chaz.  

It is terrific to be here -- and by the way, I've got a whole bunch of folks here who were active in the campaign, and precinct captains.  And I just want to thank all of them for showing up, and to all the great workers who are here at this plant -- thank you.  (Applause.)

I just had a terrific tour of the facility led by several of the workers and managers who operate this plant.  It wasn't too long ago, as Rich said, that Maytag closed its operations in Newton.  And hundreds of jobs were lost. These floors were dark and silent.  The only signs of a once-thriving enterprise were the cement markings where the equipment had been before they were boxed up and carted away.

Today, this facility is alive again with new industry. This community continues to struggle, and not everyone has been so fortunate as to be rehired, but more than 100 people will now be....