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On Monday, Congressman Boswell returned to Congress after a brief stint in the hospital.

Here’s a video message that he recorded recently…

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A compromise has been reached in Congress on the FISA bill. The so-called compromise bascially allows immunity to Telecom Companies for illegally spying on Americans.

The agreement would also pave the way for companies such as AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. to shed the nearly 40 lawsuits they face for allegedly participating in a prior version of the NSA program, which have cast a shadow over their reputation on Wall Street and Main Street. To win immunity, they would have to pass review from a U.S. District Court.

It faces hurdles to becoming law, namely whether it will have enough support from other lawmakers in both parties in the House. Telecommunications companies, which have lobbied lawmakers aggressively in recent weeks, support the compromise as does the White House.

Critical to sealing the deal was a compromise that would grant conditional immunity to telecommunications companies for assistance they provided from September 2001 through January 2007. If the companies can show a federal district court judge “substantial evidence” they received a written request from the attorney general or head of an intelligence agency stating the president authorized the surveillance and determined it to be lawful, the cases against them will be dismissed.

Yesterday the New York Times had an editorial saying this agreement is unnecessary and a threat to the Bill of Rights.

This week, the White House and Democratic and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill hope to announce a “compromise” on a domestic spying bill. If they do, it will be presented as an indispensable tool for protecting the nation’s security that still safeguards our civil liberties. The White House will paint opponents as weak-kneed liberals who do not understand and cannot stand up to the threat of terrorism.

The bill is not a compromise. The final details are being worked out, but all indications are that many of its provisions are both unnecessary and a threat to the Bill of Rights. The White House and the Congressional Republicans who support the bill have two real aims. They want to undermine the power of the courts to review the legality of domestic spying programs. And they want to give a legal shield to the telecommunications companies that broke the law by helping Mr. Bush carry out his warrantless wiretapping operation.

Democrats in the House have caved on this bill because a handful of Blue Dog Democrats, including Iowa’s Leonard Boswell.

A potential revolt by a group of Democrats pressed party leaders into compromising on a rewrite of electronic surveillance rules that could come to a House vote by week’s end, a top Democrat said Wednesday.

The House will vote on this tomorrow. If you live in Iowa’s 3rd district, call Leonard Boswell and tell Telecom companies should not get immunity for breaking the law and ask him to vote against this bill.

Rep. Leonard L. Boswell, D-Iowa — Phone: (202) 225-3806

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More than a week after the primary, it’s time to put Leonard Boswell’s victory over Ed Fallon into perspective. While the Fallon campaign is claiming “a partial victory,” the facts don’t bear out the silver lining that Fallon is trying to discern from his defeat. (Although after such a devastating loss, one certainly can understand […]

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Dave Price at WHO is reporting that turnout is much higher than expected in Polk Co. and in Des Moines, where 70% of the excepted vote will come from.

Looks like the 3rd District is stirred up a bit about this Leonard Boswell-Ed Fallon race. Polk Co Auditor Jamie Fitzgerald says turnout may approach 2006’s level. Big deal, you might say? Well, it kind of is. In 2006 you’ll remember we had the 3-way Democratic primary between Fallon, Chet Culver and Mike Blouin.

Fallon won that primary in Polk Co. against 2 well funded candidates that had the support from party insiders.

Price says that where turnout is high at will tell which candidate is helped out. However, I don’t think people turnout in high numbers to support an incumbent with a big lead in the polls. People turnout in high numbers to vote for change and to vote against something, something like a congress with a crappy approval rating.

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If you want to boil the Democratic primary race in the 3rd District down to one issue, it would be the Iraq War.

Ed Fallon has opposed the Iraq invasion from the start and has strongly opposed the war at every chance. When serving in the Iowa House, Rep. Fallon co-sponsored HR 17, along with 20 other Democrats, which called the President to not make a preemptive, unilateral attack against Iraq. Fallon had the judgement to know that invading Iraq would destablize the Middle East, hamper our efforts of bringing Osama bin Laden to justice, and would cost trillions of dollars and cause further federal budget deficits. Fallon has since signed on to the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq.

Leonard Boswell, on the other hand, voted in favor of the war in Iraq and was a strong supporter of the Bush administration’s failed policy up until he learned that Fallon was going to run against him. Boswell began to support an end to the war in Iraq in December, after it was becoming clear that Fallon was preparing to challenge him.

In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Boswell still uses Bush’s untruthful arguments for going to war in Iraq.

On Tuesday, Democrats in Iowa’s 3rd District have a choice. They can vote for someone to represent them who has the judgement to make the tough decisions and wants to bring new energy to Congress or they can vote for someone who clings to the past and only changes when they are forced to do so.

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Leonard Boswell is airing TV ads in the Des Moines market where he highlights his opposition to Bush on funding cuts to the college loan program and says he is a loyal Democrat.

That is commendable, but where was Boswell on the issues that really matter to Iowans?

Boswell voted against the majority of Democrats and supported Bush’s failed Iraq policy.

Boswell voted against the majority of Democrats to approve torture in the Military Commissions Act.

Boswell voted against the majority of Democrats to repeal the estate tax.

Boswell voted against the majority of Democrats to make it harder for people (and easier for corporations) to declare bankruptcy.

Boswell voted against the majority of Democrats and supported No Child Left Behind.

Boswell voted against the majority of Democrats and pushed to give Telecom companies immunity for illegal wiretapping Americans.

Boswell continues to support NAFTA-like free trade agreements.

Boswell voted against the majority of Democrats to give oil and gas companies $14 billion in tax breaks.

Sorry Rep. Boswell, but voting against the majority of Democrats in Congress on the issues that matter most to Iowans does not make you a loyal Democrat.

Support Ed Fallon in the 3rd District primary.

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Although Ed Fallon has been painted as unelectable for a variety of reasons, including his support for Ralph Nader in 2000, what really makes him vulnerable is his repeated votes to protect sex offenders versus the general public. Fallon was the only state representative to vote against a bill that banned sex offenders from living […]

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Although we have addressed our regret about the focus on Ed Fallon’s failings as a candidate and human being that Iowa Progress has been taking (including the post above and below), it is worth doing so again. It was never the intent for this to happen but unfortunately, events have overtaken that intent. Several months […]

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Candidate Forum for the Third Congressional District Democratic Primary

State Historical Society of Iowa
600 East Locust Street
Des Moines 50319-0290
Wednesday, May 28, 2008, at 7:00 p.m.

The two candidates for Iowa’s Third District Congressional office, Representative Leonard Boswell and candidate Ed Fallon, have both been invited to appear together on stage for a “Question and Answer” forum.

About the Master of Ceremonies: Vern Naffier
Vern Naffier is the Chairman of PCCI and Adjunct Professor of Religion and Philosophy at Grandview College.

About the Moderator: Mary Brubaker
Mary Brubaker has been one of Des Moinesʼ most recognizable television and radio personalities over the past 40 years. She was KCCIʼs first female reporter and has hosted and produced various programs on KCCI television and WOI radio over the span of her career. She is an Alumna of Drake University and a community activist.

About Leonard Boswell
Leonard Boswell is running for his seventh term as Iowaʼs 3rd district U.S. Congressional representative and is a former member of the Iowa Legislature.

About Ed Fallon
Ed Fallon has served seven terms as a State Representative in the Iowa Legislature and ran for Governor in 2006.

Principal Sponsors:
The Progressive Coalition of Central Iowa (PCCI) and Central Iowa Operation Democracy (CIOD).

Co-Sponsors:
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), Iowa Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), Iowa Chapter of Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA), and Clarion Alliance.

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The bloggers at Open Left are trying to set up a big fundraiser for Ed Fallon online. This is a nice idea but with less than a week out Ed Fallon will get very little of this money. That’s bad news for the bloggers but good news for Ed. Why? Because Ed Fallon has a […]

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