The Job Ahead for Iowans
Ed Fallon and Lynn Heuss, I'M for Iowa
Until last Tuesday, it seemed obvious that America was moving in the wrong direction. But when the polls closed and we chose President-elect Obama, it was clear that America was ready to move in a new direction. Our choice for Obama came as the result of months of effort by hundreds of thousands of people, and it didn’t happen overnight. In Iowa, even though voters strongly supported Obama, things didn’t change much at the Iowa Statehouse, which saw only modest Democratic gains. We did, however, elect and re-elect four of the six candidates I’M for Iowa supported. Pam Jochum (Dubuque) handily won her bid to move from Representative to Senator; John Beard (Decorah) replaced Republican Chuck Gipp and is a staunch supporter of VOICE (Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections); Mark Kuhn (Charles City) was re-elected to a sixth House term, and; Chuck Isenhart (Dubuque), won the House seat vacated by Pam Jochum.
We are hopeful that a strong, Democratic president will provide the inspiration for change at the local level, too. Simply having a Democratic Congress and a Democratic Iowa Legislature is not enough if we hope to take back control of our government.
It will be important to work for ending the excessive influence of money in politics; limiting government’s role in our private lives; gaining civil marriage equality; and reigning in corporate animal confinements. Even with Democrats in control, we will have to fight for these and other issues during the upcoming legislative session – and we will have to fight with the same enthusiasm and determination that put Barack Obama in the White House.
Barack Obama set a new standard for successful campaigns. We want to learn from him, follow his lead and speak truthfully and candidly. We want to educate, encourage and inspire Iowans to work for important changes with the same passion they worked for him. And we ourselves commit to working with the same tireless effort that he, his staff and supporters demonstrated.
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