Congressmen’s moves raise questions about "Carpetbagging"

Two of the four Iowa Congressmen who’ll run for re-election in 2002 will move into newly created districts. Republican Jim Leach will move to Iowa City, and democrat Leonard Boswell will move to Des Moines. Both will likely be labeled “carpet-baggers” by their opponents. Drake University political science professor Dennis Goldford says the term was first used in post-Civil War times. Suitcases at the time were made of carpet-like material and northerners who moved south to take political jobs in the defeated south were called “carpetbaggers” by the southerners. Goldford says the term’s still used as a derogatory term, but he says the constitution only requires a Congressman to live in a state, not a specific district.Leach is moving to Iowa City because if he’d kept Davenport as his official residence, he would have had to run against Congressman Jim Nussle. Boswell is moving to Des Moines because if he’d stayed in Davis City, he would have had to run in the most-Republican district in the state. Boswell says his current district was split four different ways and he feels moving will allow him to continue working with people he has known for a long time.Boswell, who is 67, says it never crossed his mind to retire from politics. He says he has a keen desire to keep working. Boswell says he’s in good health and is still qualified to fly an airplane.