Iowa First Lady Christie Vilsack spoke last night during prime time at the Democratic National Convention. She held up a campaign trinket she’s kept since the 1956 election.Mrs. Vilsack’s parents took her to a rally, and at age three she was too shy to say much to former President Harry Truman. Truman gave her a pen to get her to shake his hand, and she says she’s kept the pen to this day. On the pen it says, “I stole this pen from Harry Truman.” Mrs. Vilsack says it shows she learned her political values early, from her parents who she says exemplified small-town values. They thought government should give people in need a helping hand, they taught thevalue of hard work, staying out of debt, saving for a rainy day, and accumulating mondey but, as her dad said, “Enough, and not too much.” Mrs. Vilsack says John Kerry shares the small town values she holds dear. She says Iowans feel safer knowing their next president’s made life-and-death decisions under fire, and we’ll be safer at home, work and traveling.
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