Iowa Ag Secretary to speak at convention

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge will be on the convention stage this evening, as she’s been named one of four “parliamentarians.” That means Judge will be the person who makes the decision on whether party rules are being followed.Judge will be up on the big stage tonight, starting at 6:30 Iowa time. Judge, who is from Albia, was a mediator before she became a State Senator. She says she hopes she doesn’t have to use those skills.Judge, who is one of only two women to be elected state Ag secretary, will formally address the convention tomorrow, for four minutes.President Clinton and the First Lady speak this evening. Some in the Gore camp have simmered over the Clintons’ fundraising this past weekend, as the First Couple will leave L-A with about 14-million for his library and her Senate campaign. Iowa Lieutenant Governor Sally Pederson says there’s plenty more gold in the Hollywood Hills. Pederson and Iowa’s first couple, the Vilsacks, attended a People for the American Way event last night, which drew celebrities. The group was co-founded by Pederson’s husband Jim Autry, a magazine publisher, and it seeks to counter the Christian Coalition.