Politicos raise funds for Beall
Candidates speak at annual fall eventBy JESSE HELLING Messenger staff writer
Article Photos
SOMERS - The "next greatest generation" could lead America and the world to a brighter future.
But first we need a president who can bring the country together, according to Iowa Treasurer Mike Fitzgerald.
That president, said Fitzgerald, is Sen. Barack Obama.
Fitzgerald extolled the virtues of the Democratic presidential candidate as keynote speaker at an annual fundraiser for Iowa Sen. Daryl Beall, D-Fort Dodge, on Sunday. Approximately 50 people attended the event, which was held at the farm of Greg and Trish Moore.
Obama's message of hope and change means more than just having a Democrat in the White House, said Fitzgerald.
Rather, an Obama administration means hope for change for Americans without health insurance or for those who are concerned about helping their children pay for college, Fitzgerald said.
Fitzgerald referred to the "Greatest Generation," a commonly-applied honorific to the generation of Americans who lived through the Great Depression and fought in - and won - World War II.
"President Franklin Roosevelt challenged Americans to step forward, to rebuild and defend the country," Fitzgerald said. "We need a president who can bring us together and ask the whole country to step forward."
Though some polls have shown Obama as leading in Iowa, Fitzgerald advised Democrats not to rest easy.
"We can't let down our guard," he said. "Work hard and bring it home."
Beall's "Fun on the Farm" is an annual event bringing together local Democratic office holders and seekers - and former U.S. Rep. Berkley Bedell, a longtime friend of Beall's.
In addition to Fitzgerald, Beall was joined by Iowa Reps. Helen Miller, D-Fort Dodge and McKinley Bailey, D-Webster City, along with Becky Greenwald, who is seeking to oust Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Latham from Iowa's Fourth District and become Iowa's first female congressional representative and Lynne Gentry, of Rockwell City, who is facing off against Iowa Rep. David Tjepkes, R-Gowrie.
Greenwald, of Perry, said that Latham, "who votes with George Bush and the Republican Party 94 percent of the time," will contribute to America facing more of the same problems the country has faced over the last eight years.
These include tax cuts for the wealthy, budget deficits and a war with no end in sight, she said.
According to Greenwald, Iowa can be at the forefront of a new energy policy.
"We have the resources right here in the Fourth District to solve this energy crisis," Greenwald said.
By investing in biofuels, the country can reduce its dependence on petroleum and create what Greenwald called "good, green-collar jobs that can't be outsourced."
Both Greenwald and Beall spoke of the need to improve treatment of military veterans.
As chairman of the Iowa Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Beall said he has worked to address issues pertaining to veterans, including improvements to the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown.
"These things are not charity, they are not welfare," said Beall. "These are things that veterans have earned and sacrificed for."
Contact Jesse Helling at (515) 573-2141 or jhelling@messengernews.net
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exdodger
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09-22-08 4:11 PM
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what were they smoking????
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jaybares
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09-22-08 7:55 AM
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At least they went to a farm so the politicos could smoke while they listened to the chatter.
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