President Bush spoke in Cedar Rapids today. Vice President Dick Cheney campaigned in Waterloo Friday. First Lady Laura Bush was in Des Moines July 7th and democratic presidential candidate John Kerry campaigns in Sioux City this coming Saturday. Why are the big name politicians spending so much time campaigning in Iowa? The state is up for grabs this fall, as polls show the Bush/Kerry race tight here. Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, a Kerry backer, says Iowans will see a lot of activity from the Bush and Kerry camps. Vilsack says “there’s no question that the Midwest and the states that border the Mississippi River are very key to this election.” He says the nation’s “heartland” will “ultimately decide” who the next president is. Both Bush and Kerry are talking about “values” — each claiming to hold the kind of values to which voters ascribe. Vilsack offers the Kerry “values” Vilsack says Kerry “supports and respects” the value of hard work” and realizes the concerns of Americans who are worried about their jobs, obtaining health care insurance and being able to send their kids to college. The Bush campaign, meanwhile, stresses “family” values like opposition to gay marriage as well as Bush’s strengths as a leader in a time of war.
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