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Former Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell has died

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Leonard Boswell

Former Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War, died in a Des Moines hospital early this evening at the age of 84.

Boswell spent much of his political life representing southern Iowa in the state senate and then in the U.S. House before losing a bid for reelection to a ninth term. Boswell said farewell to congress in December of 2012 in a speech on the House floor.

“I hadn’t planned on this coming to this kind of closure, but it’s caused me to reflect back over life and I feel very blessed,” Boswell said. “…I started out in a tenant farmhouse, but look what I’ve gotten to do.”

Boswell served 20 years in the U.S. Army and retired at the rank of lieutenant colonel. Boswell and his wife, Dody — a teacher, then moved to a Davis County farm where Boswell raised cattle. He was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 1984. In 1993, his Democratic peers elected him president of the state senate. Democratic gubernatorial nominee Bonnie Campbell chose Boswell as her running mate in 1994, the year Republican Terry Branstad won a fourth term as governor.

Congressman Leonard Boswell during a farewell tribute in the U.S. House.

In 1996, Boswell won a seat in the U.S. House, where he served for 16 years. In saying farewell to Congress, Boswell said he had lived the American Dream and he offered these parting words to his colleagues.

“It’s been my pleasure and my good fortune to live in the United States of America and to serve our country,” Boswell said. “We’ve got lots on our plate, but you what? We can do this and I’m sure we will.”

Boswell was found unresponsive in his Decatur County home early this morning and flown by helicopter to a Des Moines hospital where he died from complications of Pseudomyxoma Peritonei, a rare disease Boswell had battled for 13 years, according to a family spokesman.

Just three months ago, Boswell spoke briefly at a fundraiser for Polk County Democrats and introduced keynote speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Boswell and Tom Latham debating on IPTV in 2012.

“I’m very pleased that in spite of some of the things that have happened to me that I can be here tonight to do a very special thing for me and that is to introduce somebody that I have the greatest admiration for,” Boswell said.

Pelosi, the top Democrat in the U.S. House, came on stage and the two raised their joined hands in a victory pose.

“Thank you very much Leonard Boswell for being who you are, for the patriot that you are…You honor us all with your presence, as you have honored America with your leadership and your service. You served in the military. You served in congress. You served in the community. Leonard Boswell — isn’t he something wonderful?” Pelosi asked and the crowd stood to cheer and applaud.

Leonard Boswell in the Iowa Senate.

During his years in the state legislature, Boswell represented a sprawling southwest Iowa district that was geographically larger than some of the state’s congressional districts. Boswell routinely made calls to constituents who were hospitalized and served as the auctioneer at many community and party events.

While serving in the U.S. House, Boswell led the Congressional Prayer Caucus. At the National Prayer Breakfast in 2004, Boswell told the crowd about flying an airplane in horrible weather Germany when he was assigned to NATO. It was a key moment in his faith journey.

“I think I said — maybe out loud, I don’t know, but: ‘Lord, I need your help. I’m not going to make it.’ And no sooner than I thought that then it was just like there was a tunnel of light right down to Bonhoefer (landing) strip. I turned, flew right down that tunnel it seemed like and landed and I heard footsteps running toward me. And pretty soon four or five people showed up and they said: ‘Where did you come from?’ And I said: ‘Well, there was a hole in the clouds and I came down that hole,'” Boswell said and the National Prayer Breakfast crowd laughed.

“In all seriousness, they said: ‘We heard you fly and turn up the valley. We heard you go into the power climb…We waited for the crash. How’d you get here?’ And I told them and they looked at each other. They weren’t sure, but I knew. I knew.”

Boswell, an assault helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War, had a non-cancerous tumor removed from his stomach in 2005. In 2015, Boswell announced he was having another tumor evaluated and he said the tumor could be linked to the chemical known as “Agent Orange” that was used during the war in Vietnam.

Potential 2020 presidential candidate Castro says people ready for new generation of leaders

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Julian Castro

Former San Antonio Mayor and possible 2020 presidential candidate Julian Castro today said it’s time for a “blueprint for the future” rather than the “backward” path he says GOP leaders in Washington, D.C. are pursuing.

“I believe that the goal of this country should be to become the strongest, the smartest and the safest country in the world,” Castro said. “…As we become smarter, we become stronger. As we develop our alliances around the world, instead of tearing them down, we become safer.”

Castro spoke on The Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair early this afternoon. Castro is a former Obama Administration official who is making it clear he’s considering a run for president in 2020.

“I’m going to make a decision after November and before the end of the year and based on that, if I decide to run, then I’ll make an announcement shortly after,” Castro told reporters. “…I believe that the 2020 race is wide open. I’m convinced that people want a new generation of leadership.”

During his speech to fairgoers, the 43-year-old laid out policy goals, including some form of “Medicare for All,” universal preschool, at least two free years of college and criminal justice reform.

“Because everybody counts in this country,” Castro said, to applause. “We can’t waste anyone.”

Castro served as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama Administration. Castro Castro’s twin brother is a Democratic congressman representing the San Antonio area in the U.S. House.

Congressman Young says Trump’s trade talk understandable, but nerve-wracking

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David Young

Republican Congressman David Young says he doesn’t question President Trump’s intentions to strike better trade deals for the U.S., but Young says he and “lot of a people” in his congressional district are nervous about Trump’s trade threats.

“As a leverage tool, I understand what he’s doing,” Young says “But as a policy, we cannot allow this to go on a whole lot longer and have this become pure policy.”

Young spoke with reporters today after delivering a speech on The Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair. Young said if Trump is able to renegotiate NAFTA and resolve trade and intellectual property disputes with China, the impact on Iowa’s economy will be “pretty incredible.”

Young also touted the impact tax cuts passed by congress and approved by the president have had on the economy.

“There’s an economic renaissance going on in Iowa and this country,” Young told the State Fair crowd, “and we have to make sure it continues.”

Young is seeking a third term in the U.S. House representing Iowa’s third district. Political analysts have rated his race with Democratic challenger Cindy Axne as a “toss-up.” Vice President Mike Pence appeared at a campaign fundraiser for Young Wednesday and later told reporters this Iowa’s third district race may decide which party controls the U.S. House in 2019.

Bullock says ‘dark money’ is corrupting government

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Steve Bullock

Montana Governor Steve Bullock says “dark money” and unlimited corporate spending on elections have fundamentally changed how our government works.

“Think about this recent tax cut that happened — $1.9 trillion in debt onto our kids and grandkids. Senator Graham said: ‘We have to do this to…appease our donors,'” Bullock said today on The Des Moines Registers’ Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair.

Bullock filed a lawsuit this summer challenging the IRS decision that certain political organizations known as 501(c) groups will no longer have to reveal who their donors are to the IRS.

“Think about this: now, truly a Russian couuld write a check and influence our elections. We would never even know,” Bullock said. “…This rule had been around since 1971. Richard Nixon wasn’t exactly the model of good government and transparency.”

And Bullock argued none of the big issues facing the country can be addressed until money “is no longer allowed to corrupt the system.”

Bullock spent the past couple of days campaigning with Iowa Democrats and visiting with State Fair-goers. Bullock said during his “Soapbox” speech that Democrats need to figure out how to connect with Trump voters at the local level. Bullock is the only Democratic governor who was reelected in a state Trump won in 2016.

“The Democratic Party didn’t necessarily change,” Bullock said. “We just haven’t been able to figure out the ways to be speaking to people off of the coasts and if we can’t speak the language of the people of Iowa and Michigan and Wisconsin and others, even if you can get an electoral majority, you’re never going to have a governing majority.”

Bullock, though, isn’t ready to talk about whether he’ll run for president in 2020. The two fairgoers who asked the governor questions during his “Soapbox” appearance both asked about his 2020 intentions.

“I do have a story of how I’ve been able to bring people together and I think that’s, in part, what our country desperately needs,” Bullock said and many the crowd applauded. “…Right now, what I’m doing is listening and that’s honestly as far as it goes.”

Another out-of-state Democratic office-holder visiting the fair yesterday gave a strong answer to the “will you run?” question.

“I’m not running for president,” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said, with a laugh. “No, I’m not.”

Walsh said he came west to help Iowa Democratic Party candidates who’re on the 2018 ballot.

State treasurer and GOP challenger cite priority projects

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Mike Fitzgerald

A former Ames City Councilman is challenging the longest-serving state treasurer in the country in this year’s General Election.

Michael Fitzgerald is seeking a 10th term. “The treasurer’s job is to keep the money safe, kind of the banker for the State of Iowa and we have kept the money safe,” Fitzgerald says.”…You know, all the times I’ve been treasurer — I’m a Democrat — there’ve been Republican auditors and there’s never a criticism of how we’ve managed the money.”

Fitzgerald says if he’s re-elected, he’ll continue lobbying Iowa legislators to create a state-managed retirement savings plan like the College Savings Iowa program.

“We have a retirement crisis in this state. If you’re in IPERS or have a pension plan, that’s great, but also there’s a lot of folks — about half the people don’t have anything when they’re 55 years of age, (they) have nothing.”

Seven other states have established state-run retirement plans that are not run with state tax dollars, but the investment portfolio is managed by state officials.

Jeremy Davis

The Republican who’s challenging Fitzgerald in 2018 is Jeremy Davis, a former aide to Congressman Steve King who served one term on the Ames City Council.

“The state treasurer is the chief revenue officer of the state,” Davis says, “but when’s the last time he reached out to Iowans and asked: ‘How do you feel your money is being spent? Is it being spent appropriately by the legislature? Is the governor introducing the type of budget that meets the needs of all Iowans?'”

Davis says if he’s elected treasurer, he’ll launch a task force to identify duplication and wasteful spending that should be eliminated at the three state universities.

“We, as the state leadership, need to make the hard discussions and the hard decisions that will ultimately help either stabilize or bring down the cost of higher educaiton in this state,” Davis says.

Davis is floating one idea already: create one financial accounting platform for all three universities.

Davis and Fitzgerald made their comments during speeches on The Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair.

Reynolds says electing her will K.I.M. — Keep Iowa Moving

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Governor Kim Reynolds.

Governor Kim Reynolds today said the state’s low unemployment rate and the tax cuts she signed into law this spring show Iowa is on the right track with Republican leadership.

“And I’ve got something to tell you: we we’re just getting started,” Reynolds said. “We are never going to be satisfied with the status quo. There is so much potential and capacity that exists in this state and we’re excited about continuing the momentum.”

Reynolds spoke late this afternoon on The Des Moines Register’s Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair. She did not mention her Democratic opponent Fred Hubbell by name, but did blast Democrats in general.

“We have a lot of positive things happening in Iowa and I know the other side wants to think everything’s doom and gloom and Iowa’s going to hell in a handbasket and I’m sorry. It is not,” Reynolds said and, as the crowd cheered, she continued: “No, it’s not!”

Reynolds has been governor for about 14-and-a-half months and emphasized the history made when she took the oath of office.

Governor Kim Reynolds spoke at the Iowa State Fair Tuesday.

“And today serve Iowans at the highest level as the first female governor of the great state of Iowa,” Reynolds said, to applause and cheers.

Reynolds touted the new state law authorizing “health benefit plans” to be sold by the Iowa Farm Bureau as a cheaper alternative to traditional insurance. Reynolds said it’s part of the “bold and ambitious agenda” that cleared the 2018 legislature.

“Keep Iowa Moving — K.I.M. — in the right direction,” Reynolds said near the end of her speech. “If you listen to what my opponent wants to do, he wants to reverse every single positive thing that we’ve done.”

Reynolds told the crowd her husband, Kevin, had an appendectomy at 4 a.m. Tuesday morning. He was released from the hospital by Tuesday afternoon.

“I just want to thank the doctors, the surgeons and the nurses who did such a phenomenal job of taking care of Kevin,” Reynold said. “He’s back home already and he’s going hunting in two weeks, so that’s all he’s cared about. He wants to make sure he’s in good shape and can head off and go elk hunting.”

Kevin Reynolds retired a year ago after working as a district conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Steyer tells Fair crowd impeachment about patriotism, not partisanship

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Tom Steyer

The California billionaire who has been running TV ads and holding town hall meetings to talk about impeaching President Trump says it’s all about Trump’s “lawlessness” rather than the policies Trump’s pursuing.

Tom Steyer spoke this afternoon on The Des Moines Register’s Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair. “I think we have a wreckless, dangerous and lawless president and every American patriot a duty to speak out if he or she believes that and a duty to stand up for our country,” Steyer said. “It’s a question of patriotism, not partisanship.”

Steyer said Trump’s number one impeachable offense is getting money from foreign adversaries who are staying in the hotels and golf clubs Trump owns. Steyer’s political action committee has been registering voters in Iowa since 2014, targeting people under the age of 35 who are half as likely to vote as people in other age groups. Steyer isn’t saying whether these efforts are a prelude to his own presidential campaign in 2020.

“We’re running what I think with our partners is the largest grassroot organization in the United States and we are totally focused on November 6, 2018,” Steyer said. “…I promise the day after Election Day, I will be working full-time for justice in America…could be a lot of different things.”

Steyer said as of today, his organization has contact information for 5.6 million Americans, only a third of whom vote in non-presidential elections. Steyer said increasing participation among those who don’t normally vote in mid-term elections will be key for Democrats in 2018.

To win, Loebsack says Democrats must run local campaigns

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Dave Loebsack

Congressman Dave Loebsack says Democratic candidates would do well to focus on local issues if the party hopes to capitalize on what might be a “blue wave” this November.

“Going forward, the best thing that the Democratic Party could do would be to recognize that the Midwest is not San Francisco, it’s not Long Island or Queens,” Loebsack says. “It’s completely different.”

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is from San Francisco and the 28-year-old Democratic Socialist who beat a House Democratic Leader in a June Primary is from Queens. Loebsack says Democrats running for congress have to worry about their own districts.

“That’s what I tell folks in Washington, D.C. all the time, too,” Loebsack says. “They can come up with whatever them come up with, but I need to talk about the issues and respond to the folks in my district, what’s affecting them every day.”

In 2006, Loebsack beat a 30-year incumbent to win a seat in the U.S. House. There are three Democrats in Iowa running against Republican incumbent congressmen this year, but Loebsack is reluctant to suggest his campaign strategy 12 years ago would work for them.

“I really don’t give a Iot of advice to people because I really believe that those people running in those areas probably know their districts pretty well,” Loebsack says. “I think part of the problem with my party is that they talk about a message, they talk about issues and all the rest, but those are not the same around the rest of the country.”

Loebsack, a former Cornell College professor, is seeking a seventh term in the U.S. House. Loebsack says Democrats “have real opportunities” in 2018, but he’s not going to guess whether Democrats can win enough seats to take control of the U.S. House from Republicans.

Loebsack spoke with reporters this afternoon following his speech on The Des Moines Register’s Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair.

Challenger Axne says Congressman Young mired in ways of Washington

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Cindy Axne

Cindy Axne, the Democrat who’s challenging Republican Congressman David Young, says Iowans deserve better than the agenda being pursued by the Republican-led congress.

“Decisions that are helping corporations and the wealthy, decisions that are absolutely taking this country and this state backwards and decisions that are hurting hard-working Iowa families,” Axne says.

Axne, a small business owner, launched her bid to represent the southwest Iowa district about 15 months ago.

“Iowans are working incredibly hard and we’re playing by the rules, but Washington doesn’t have our back and we deserve better,” she says.

Axne spoke this weekend on The Des Moines Register’s Soapbox at the Iowa State Fair. She described her opponent, Congressman Young, as a politician “mired” in the ways of Washington.

“Right now he stands by idly as this administration attacks our farmers, our local economies and our overall state’s economy to be successful in agriculture and we need to send somebody out to congress who stands up for Iowans,” Axne said.

Congressman Young is scheduled to speak at the same State Fair venue on Wednesday.

Summertime events in Iowa featuring 2020 presidential prospects

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Attorney Michael Avenatti and former Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge visit in Iowa State Fair livestock pavilion.

Democratic candidates weighing their prospects for the 2020 presidential race were in Iowa this weekend.

Michael Avenatti, the attorney representative an adult film star who’s suing President Trump, spoke Friday night at the annual “Wing Ding” north central Democrats held in Clear Lake.

“What I fear for this Democratic Party that I love so much is that we have a tendency to bring nail clippers to a gun fight,” Avenatti said, drawing laughter and applause from the crowd. “…I believe that our party, the Democratic Party, must be a party that fights fire with fire.”

On Saturday, New York businessman Andrew Yang visited the State Fair. Yang, who announced early this year that he was running for president, argues there will be a massive loss of jobs as the economy evolves, so the government must take steps to ensure a basic income for every American between the ages of 18 and 64.

“Which now a friend is asking me to call ‘The Tech Check,'” Yang said, in an interview with Radio Iowa as he explained the concept, “which is that every American adult, every adult in Iowa receives $1000 a month free and clear, paid by the companies that benefit the most from automation, so that people can make plans for the future with a degree of security.”

John Delaney

On Sunday, Maryland Congressman John Delaney crossed a milestone when he visited his 99th county in Iowa. Delaney, who announced he was running for president about a year ago, also toured the Iowa State Fair and delivered a campaign-style speech at The Des Moines Register’s Soapbox.

“If you want a government that will actually represent you and bring us together, then I encourage you to get on board with us,” Delaney said to conclude his remarks. “…That’s why going to 99 counties in Iowa. That’s why we’re out early because I’m a different kind of Democrat and I have a different kind of message.”

California Congressman Eric Swalwell, a native of Sac City, has visited the state seven times since early 2017. During a speech Saturday on The Des Moines Register’s Soapbox at the State Fair, Swalwell suggested the 2018 election is setting the stage for 2020.

Eric Swallwel

“We’ve got about 80-some odd days to go until we start to see change in Iowa and change in America and, along the way, we must keep resisting,” Swalwell said. “It’s your resisting that is working.”

A few other potential presidential candidates of the future are due in Iowa this week. California billionaire Tom Steyer, Montana Governor Steve Bullock and former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro are all Democrats. Vice President Mike Pence is also slated to speak at an event in Des Moines on Wednesday.