The Hawkeye State casts its ballots for George W. Bush

Iowa Republicans have cast all 25 of their convention votes for George W. Bush’s nomination. Some of the Iowans at the Republican National Convention supported Steve Forbes, Dan Quayle and Alan Keyes in the Caucuses, but their allegiance has now switched to BushEdward Morse of Council Bluffs, a Creighton Law School professor is also a farmer. Morse, was a Forbes supporter, but was impressed by Laura Bush’s speech last night.Last night’s convention program featuring retired U-S military leader Colin Powell was intended to illustrate Bush’s commitment to bringing new faces into the Republican party. Iowa’s delegation is predominantly white, and men outnumber women two-to-one, but John Ortega of Bettendorf represents a new wing of the G-O-P — Hispanics.The 59-year-old Ortega is a third-generation American, employed by an insurance company in the Quad Cities. Ortega is opposed to abortion, but he Ortega is an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention, and rotated onto the floor twice yesterday to vote. In a departure from the past, states have begun casting their votes for Bush’s nomination. It was A through I yesterday, so Iowa went last night.