Concord Monitor, NH
02-25-07
Iowans weren't wowed by Vilsack
Also: Four same-sex union bills considered
By Sarah Liebowitz and Eric Moskowitz
Monitor staff
ormer Iowa governor Tom Vilsack's decision to abandon his White House bid
drew disappointment here from his handful of early supporters as well as from
those who feel the crowded early nominating calendar is squeezing out all but
the richest candidates. But Vilsack's withdrawal doesn't seem to change much in
the First Primary State.
Curious what it would mean for Vilsack's home state, we checked in with a
couple of pundits in the land of ethanol and the first caucuses.
David Yepsen, veteran political columnist for the Des Moines Register, said it will
have a modest effect on the Iowa caucuses. In 1992, Democrats downplayed
Iowa because the state's Sen. Tom Harkin was in the field. But this year, "nobody
was bypassing Iowa because Vilsack was in the race," Yepsen said. "The game
was on, and Vilsack was running in third or fourth place in his own home state which wasn't exactly making it any easier to raise money."
Yepsen said Vilsack was in a no-win situation in Iowa: Finish first and people
would say it's just his home state; finish anywhere else and people would dismiss
him for losing his home state.
Vilsack's departure "assures that Iowa is now seen as a level playing field,"
Yepsen said. But the big-name candidates had already been visiting Iowa,
where they were polling ahead of Vilsack, so Yepsen sees the effect of his
withdrawal as minimal.
Nonetheless, political scientist Dianne Bystrom of Iowa State University was
surprised by the move. A late-January poll of 600 Iowans showed Vilsack at 14
percent, trailing John Edwards (24), Hillary Clinton (18) and Barack Obama (18).
"Those are actually, with the margin of error, pretty close figures," said Bystrom,
director of the school's Center for Women and Politics. "Most people I talked to
today were surprised that he had dropped out."
Bystrom thought Vilsack's Iowa staff and supporters would divide among
Edwards, Clinton and Obama. She thought Edwards would prove most attractive
to that group, in part because - like Vilsack - "he's not one of the two quoteunquote superstars."
Like Vilsack, Edwards offers Iowa voters "familiarity," she said, as he has been a
regular in the state since finishing a surprising No. 2 in the 2004 caucuses.
Chummy party
To hear Mitt Romney tell it, things are decidedly friendlier in the Republican
presidential field than in the Democratic.
"It's great, isn't it?" Romney said about last week's spat between Clinton and
Obama. "I love to see it when it happens on the other side."
Early last week, Clinton's aides reacted angrily to Hollywood executive David
Geffen's criticism of Clinton. Geffen, once a Bill Clinton supporter, is backing
Obama.
After touring GT Solar, a plant in Merrimack, Romney said: "I have to tell you that
on our side, Sen. McCain and Rudy Giuliani are friends of mine. I respect them
and I think both of them have great qualities. Both of them are national heroes in
one way or another. I'm sure we'll disagree on issues from time to time, but I
doubt you'll see the rancor that apparently may exist elsewhere."
During the short Friday press conference, Romney also touched on energy
independence, saying the United States should "produce as much energy as we
use." Although Romney has yet to develop an energy plan, he said "the
approach I prefer is not a heavy-handed government mandate that costs jobs,
but instead incentives that create jobs."
The only question Romney wouldn't answer, a reference to the voice-over in his
new ad, was: What makes him a business legend?
"I'll have to let you figure that one out yourself," Romney said.
True blue
Edwards apparently has some loyal supporters.
Kristin and Chris Sullivan of Concord, who backed Edwards in 2004, hosted a
house party for the former vice presidential nominee yesterday.
"I have not heard of anybody who supported him the last time who's not
supporting him this time," Kristin Sullivan said.
For Sullivan, Edwards has aged well. "I think he's even a better candidate now,"
she said. "He has certainly been out doing things other than strictly political
things over the last four years."
After one White House run, "I feel like he has a little bit more gravity."
Then there were four
The Legislature had never before seen a bill that proposed same-sex unions.
Now it has four.
We've already reported on the non-marriage "cohabitation" bill sponsored by
Republican Sen. Bob Clegg, which has been sent to the Senate Judiciary
Committee but not yet scheduled for a hearing.
Now the three House bills have emerged from legislative services. All will go
through the House Judiciary Committee, starting with Democratic Rep. Jim
Splaine's House Bill 437 (creating same-sex "spousal unions" with the same
legal benefits as marriage) on March 5, the day lawmakers return from break.
The other two - Republican Rep. Steve Vaillancourt's HB 905 (establishing
Vermont-style "civil unions") and Democratic Rep. Mo Baxley's HB 791 (creating
"civil marriage") - have not yet been scheduled for hearings.
Baxley, executive director of the New Hampshire Freedom to Marry Coalition,
said her bill, which removes the prohibition on same-gender marriage from state
law and makes all marriage terms gender-neutral, has the backing of the gay
community. The coalition would not support unions short of "marriage."
"Freedom to Marry's position has always been equality, so Freedom to Marry will
support the marriage bill," she said.
Civil unions are a legal "loophole" that don't bring same-sex couples closer to
equality, she said.
Gov. John Lynch opposes gay marriage and has stayed out of the civil unions
debate so far. But Baxley thinks the marriage bill could pass. "Sometimes I think
it's up to the people to lead," she said.
Legislative leaders are unlikely to issue caucus positions on the bills, leaving
members free to vote their personal beliefs.
Not dead yet
Lawmakers tussle over the appropriate funding level for the Land and
Community Heritage Investment Program every session. The public strongly
favors LCHIP, but without a dedicated source of money for the program,
lawmakers often trim its funding at budget time.
This month, Lynch proposed $12 million over two years for LCHIP. Without a
dedicated fund, the figure could more easily be readjusted by the Legislature.
This session, Democratic Rep. Judith Spang, chairwoman of the House
Resources, Recreation and Development Committee, sponsored a bipartisan bill
(Republicans Liz Hager and Neal Kurk are cosponsors) to add a $40 surcharge
to every recording filed with county registers of deeds to pay for LCHIP.
The bill went to the House Municipal and County Government Committee, which
voted 9-8 to recommend killing the bill. Democrats outnumber Republicans 12-8
on the committee, but three Democrats missed the vote. All eight Republicans
voted against the measure, and they were joined by one Democrat, Rep. Earle
Goodwin.
The House GOP immediately sent a press release declaring, "Bipartisan Majority
Kills LCHIP Tax." Rep. Betsey Patten, the committee's ranking Republican, said
the group was fending off "a new tax that hurts the people of our state."
Concord Rep. Jessie Osborne, vice chairwoman of the committee, scoffed at the
bipartisan claim.
"Oh, there will be a floor fight" in the House over this, she said.
Concord Rep. Mary Jane Wallner, the Democratic majority leader, agreed: "I
would not be surprised if we see a lot of Democratic support for this bill on the
floor of the House."
Goodwin, who lives in Dover, defended his vote. "I had many constituents that
opposed this bill on the grounds that it was an extra tax or fee," he said. "I
consider it an unstable source of funding."
Goodwin said Lynch's desire to see $12 million in general funds sent to LCHIP
"will obviate the necessity of the special tax."
You're hired
Clinton's campaign announced last week that New Hampshire Democratic Party
spokeswoman Kathleen Strand would become the campaign's New Hampshire
communications director.
But Strand made up her mind weeks before, after seeing Clinton speak at the
Democratic National Committee's winter meeting.
Strand, who worked in New Hampshire as press secretary for John Kerry's
presidential campaign in the general election and in Iowa as a deputy press
secretary for Richard Gephardt's bid, is the latest party employee to join Clinton's
campaign. Party Executive Director Nick Clemons will be the campaign's state
director.
Strand starts the job March 12.
On the tube
Eager for some more political analysis? Arnie Arnesen's new Sunday show will
touch on a host of New Hampshire issues, including the proposed smoking ban.
Guests will include Sen. Lou D'Allesandro, Rep. David Hess, former
congressman Chuck Douglas and North Country columnist Susan Bruce. The
show begins at 11 a.m. on WZMY.
(Monitor reporter Walter Alarkon contributed to this column.)