Also on the legislature’s plate is Gov. Chet Culver’s $750 million bonding plan to pay for flood repairs and work on Iowa’s aging infrastructure. On top of it all, opponents of same-sex marriage have said they will push for legislative action on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage before the session is over.

Four pieces of legislation backed by labor unions are also still on the table, although their future appears bleak.

The session isn’t officially scheduled to end until May 1, when lawmakers’ daily expense payments run out. But Democrats set a goal of ending the session early in order to save money and help with the state’ budget shortfall.

The first hurdle for Democrats will come Tuesday, when debate is scheduled for their controversial tax reform bill that includes ending federal deductibility. A public hearing on the plan last week became so heated House Speaker Pat Murphy asked state troopers to clear the public from the gallery.

Palo Mayor Jeff Beauregard and Iowa Gov. Chet Culver did as much listening as talking Wednesday during a brief press conference and subsequent tour of flood damage. Palo officials hope funds from Culver's proposed bonding plan can help provide much-needed disaster recovery in the wake of the unprecedented 2008 flood.

PALO — Gov. Chet Culver isn’t afraid of compromising a $750 million bonding program he believes will bring much-needed jobs to Iowa. The governor isn’t afraid, he said, because he understands that current needs outweigh any background political noise.

“I think the bottom line is just to find consensus,” Culver told reporters Wednesday. “There’s not enough time to argue about our differences. Let’s figure out where we can agree.”

Culver’s vision is a three-year investment he’s dubbed I-JOBS. The total cost of $750 million breaks down to $250 million for transportation infrastructure, $175 million for essential, already-scheduled projects, $150 million for currently unfunded flood recovery efforts, $100 million for water and sewer improvements and $75 million for local infrastructure and sustainable construction. The debt taken on by the state to complete the projects would be repaid using a portion of the state’s gambling revenues.

“It sounds like we are making some progress in a bipartisan way,” Culver said. “We’ve been working with the Legislature, trying to tackle some of these differences. There’s been a debate about the road piece and the best way to pay for that. I’ve resisted an increase in the gas tax and believe the best alternative is to bond $250 million for bridges and roads. Maybe there is another alternative that [the Legislature] will come up with.

“At the end of the day, we’ve got to get a package done. Will be $750 [million]? I don’t know, but I think we will have a major bonding proposal that is going to create jobs in communities like Cedar Rapids and Palo and dozens of others before we adjourn.”

One of the areas where Culver said he could easily see compromise is in relation to his proposed Iowa Jobs Board, a body that would accept and review project applications from Iowa communities. Although Culver has proposed an 11-member board built with a mix of citizens and state officials, he stated that he was open to discussions with the Legislature concerning the size and make-up of that review panel.

“But we must have transparency and accountability,” he said. “I’d like for Iowans to be able to get on a Web site or make a phone call and be able to figure out what’s happening in their county —how many sewer projects, how many road projects, how many school improvement projects. We need to be very transparent and, most importantly, we need a chair for this board that will make sure that these projects are done on time and on budget.”

Culver, who indicated he had approached Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton, about speaking with the Republican Caucus, said he was optimistic such discussions would take place and that compromise could be found.

“He was very receptive to the idea,” Culver said about McKinley.

It is not an exaggeration to write that the June 2008 flood decimated Palo, a town with less than 1,000 residents. The Cedar River and three tributary creeks damaged the fire station, public works building, recreation areas and even the city hall/community center. The sewage system failed, contaminating the flood waters and impacting everything they touched. In the end, all but 10 Palo homes and businesses were flooded, and more than 400 structures sustained significant damage. Only one of the three roads into and out of the community did not suffer significant washouts. While residents and volunteers have come together to muck out homes and repair structures, city officials have already begun to address much-needed sewer and water infrastructure.

“Everyone in Palo had a private well,” Palo Mayor Jeff Beauregard explained. “These are considered contaminated since the flood and we’d like to bring water as a utility to the community.”

Beauregard said the city is facing a $5.4 million price tag in order to complete the needed water infrastructure. The city is also in the process of completing a $4.2 million sewer project. While such a projects provide immediate construction jobs, city officials also hope that such improvements would intice business and industry to locate in Palo.

“These two projects are really good examples of what we are proposing to provide with the Iowa Jobs Initiative… Our state has these types of challenges statewide, but they’ve really been compounded in the flood-impacted areas,” Culver said. “That’s also the purpose of this tour — to highlight critically important projects that need funding.”

Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign raised some eyebrows when it was revealed that it would hold a “Rural Americans for Hillary” summit at the Washington, DC, office of Troutman Sanders Public Affairs, a lobbying firm that represents controversial agribusiness giant Monsanto.  Clinton herself made a swing through Iowa over the weekend, stumping in Des Moines, Carroll, and Storm Lake.  Saturday, a direct mail piece defending Clinton’s vote in favor of the Senate resolution classifying the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group hit Iowa mailboxes.

Sen. Barack Obama released his plan for rural America in the town of Fairfax Tuesday, making stops later that day in Vinton, Amana, and Tipton.  He announced the endorsement of State Rep. Mark Smith Wednesday.

Sen. Joe Biden kept his sights on Gov. Bill Richardson in campaign stops across the state.  He also received the first newspaper endorsement of the presidential campaign from the Storm Lake Times, a relatively small newspaper in Northwest Iowa.  Richardson gave an address on global threats in Des Moines Thursday, and he appears to be getting serious.  Sen. Chris Dodd has moved his family to Iowa, according to media reports.  Among other relatives campaigning for Dodd, the Connecticut Senator’s brother Tom (who is a former Ambassador and adjunct professor at Georgetown) performed duties as a surrogate last week.

For what they are worth, the two latest polls of the Democratic candidates in Iowa show Clinton in the lead.  Strategic Vision puts the New York Senator at 28%, Obama at 23%, and Edwards at 20%.  Rasmussen’s results differ slightly: Clinton is at 33%, Edwards is at 22%, and Obama is at 21%.  Notably, Biden is within the margin of error of Richardson in both polls (although both candidates remain in the single digits).  According to Rasmussen, Clinton attracts has a commanding lead among female voters, attracting 39% of their vote.

On the Republican side, former mayor Rudy Giuliani made a trip through Iowa last week emphasizing his fiscal conservatism after receiving the support of Texas Gov. Rick Perry.  His trip included a stop in arguably the most liberal county in the state.

Gov. Mitt Romney stumped in Eastern and Western Iowa on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.

And Sen. Sam Brownback dropped out of the race Friday.  Although he was registering very low in polls, he had endeared himself to many social conservatives in Iowa.  While many blamed his failure on poor fund raising, there are indications that the root causes were more strategic than financial.

The most recent polls of the Republican field in Iowa show Romney maintaining his first place standing.  Strategic Vision puts Romney at 27%, Giuliani at 13%, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee at 12%, former Sen. Fred Thompson at 10%, and Sen. John McCain at 5%.  (Brownback and Rep. Ron Paul both had 4%.)  Rasmussen registers Huckabee ant Thompson well above Giuliani, with Romney at 25%, Thompson at 19%, Huckabee at 18%, and Giuliani at 13%.  (McCain has 6%, and Brownback had 3%.)

Although the date of the Democratic caucuses remains uncertain, Monday, the Iowa GOP set the date of its caucuses for January 3.

John Edwards picked up the endorsement of the Iowa branch of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) at a Monday event at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.  That much was expected, but Edwards also rolled out the endorsement of SEIU locals in several other states.  The national union did not endorse because Edwards did not reach a 60% threshold required by union rules.

Below the fold: Events as they happened in Iowa City.
4:53 and with a little assist I’m live at the UIowa’s Eckstein Medical Research Lab for the Iowa SEIU endorsement of John Edwards.

Johnson County Supervisor Terrence Neuzil is one of Edwards’ county co-chairs.  “It’s huge, particularly for Johnson County,” he says of the endorsement.  “It’s kind of the time people are just starting to see who’s most electable, and having an organization like SEIU on board will provide us with not only the tools — the phonebanks, the robocalls — it’s the people power and it’s politically experienced people who know what they’re doing.”

An hour before start time, some of those purple shirted people from SEIU’s Iowans for Health Care effort were prepping the place, carefully positioning EDWARDS signs and directional arrows across the maze of buildings thank make up the UI hospital campus.

The Obama camp did its best to blunt this endorsement, rolling out the endorsements of Illinois and Indiana SEIU this afternoon.  By union rules, Illinois SEIU people cant come into Iowa to campaign for Obama against Iowa SEIU’s endorsed candidate Edwards.  Yesterday at a Democratic party caucus training, a couple experienced union hands were unsure how that would work.

We’ve already heard the ubiquitous Mellencamp and U2, and now we incongruously get Carly Simon singing “Loving You’s The Right Thing To Do.”  A sound guy doing a mic check shouts “kill the music.”  Behind me, a woman discusses another candidate: “And I said to him, ‘you CAN’T be for Hillary, she’s not ELECTABLE.’”

5:12.  SEIU’s Sarah Swisher literally embraces a beaming Tom Carsner, another of the leading local Edwards supporters.  Also on the scene is State Rep. Art Staed of Cedar Rapids.  “John Edwards is an honest fellow who has his heart set on the right things.  He’s sincerely more interested in the common people than in multinational corporations.”

Professor David Redlawsk says the endorsement helps Edwards immensely in Johnson County, “though there’s also a sizable Obama contingent.”  We exchange grumblings about a New York Times article than noted that Iowans, particularly those at the Johnson County Dems barbecue, don’t read blogs.  “Our research shows 22 to 23% of caucus goers read blogs, which was higher than I expected,” he said.  “It’s still kind of a niche, but… the people who MATTER are reading blogs,” he adds, trying to make me feel better.  He’s more surprised that only 5% of Iowans have donated to a campaign online.

5:25 and movement is difficult in this oblong atrium area.  Some of the guys in purple are hanging the puple and gold banner, I feel like I’m at a Minnesota Vikings game.  (Which if you know me is painful for this Wisconsin native who bleeds green and gold)  U-biquitous2 playing again, though as we are in a hospital it’s not the usual bonecrushing rally levels.  The efficient Mark McCullogh of the Edwards staff informs us of the entrance direction and press avail after the speech.  A couple nurses in scrubs, but by and large the hot fashion statement is SEIU purple.

I have to say I’ve never heard heard “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder at a rally before.  The vehicles are pulling up… the efficient Mark McCullough distributes remarks.

5:45 and the show starts with SEIU 199 president Cathy Glasson.  Notes membership of 2000 at UIHC.  “Our nation has a weak thready pulse” on health care — Code Blue, says the nurse.  “Health care is the bread and butter issue Iowans are discussing.”

“John Edwards has made the fight for working families his own fight” while “Others tended to be more cautious and politically calculated.”

Washington/Oregon SEIU head brings their endorsement — there’s other states too but the applause drowns out the list.  Minnesota, too.  Ohio, WV, and Michigan, with 124,000 members.  This list of states is reminding me of Howard Dean – YEAH!  And then we’re going to California – 656,000 members.  Almost seems like Illinois was the big holdout that may have blocked the national endorsement?

With that Edwards walks in, grinning ear to ear, to the tune of Springsteen and “The Promised Land.”  Local member Margie Caruth reads the intro.

150 to 200 in the room, counting us press types.

Edwards takes the mic at 5:58, perfectly timed for Live at 6.

“These are men and women who have stood up and stood out for working people.”  He sums up the endorsing states as “almost a million” members.

“I’ve been in the trenches with them, and their cause is my cause.”  “Working men and women providing health care should have health care themselves.”

“Our health care system does not work, and no one understands that better than the men and women behind me — they work in it every day.”  He repeats the call to cancel Congressional health care if Congress won’t pass it for him.  That always goes over well in a crowd like this.

He outlines the plan.

Mandate universal coverage by law.  No preexisting conditions, mental health parity.  “No more job lock in America – take your health care withyou wherever you go.”

“No more collective bargaining sessions about health care, we’ll get that off the table.”

“Get rid of George Bush’s tax cuts” to pay for it.

Decent working conditions for health care providers.  “We have a nursing crisis in America.”  Abolish mandatory OT for nurses, ergonomic standards, patient-staff ratios…  (This is stuff he hasn’t said as much on the trail.)

To grow the middle class, we must grow the labor movement.  (Lots of the speech is getting applause drowned.)  Several other well-worn labor lines: “if you can join the Republican party by signing a card,” etc.

SCHIP Bush veto: “He’s on the side of insurance companies, drug countries, and their lobbyists.”

Concluding with the “I run for president on behalf of” cadence.  “on behalf of the men and women who take care of our mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and children every day.”  All of 10 minutes of speech and now we have the Foo Fighters.

6:20 and we had a four or five question media avail scrum style.  A local TV person tries to get him to set a bar for the caucuses — “how well do you need to finish?”  Edwards doesn’t bite.  He alludes to differences with other candidates on health care without naming anyone.  “We can’t get universal health care without fighting against powerful entrenched interests.”  SEIU endorsement means people who know how to organize in “a very aggressive way.” 

“This is not a top down endorsement,” he says.  “These members know me, I’ve been working with them in the trenches for years.”  Dismisses the lack of a national endorsement and again touts the “nearly a million members.”

“They did a great job of holding the details,” said David Redlawsk of the endorsements from other states that were rolled out.  As for the lack of a national endorsement, “it was the favorite sons and daughters” (specifically Obama and Clinton)  “that kept it from the 60 percent” that SEIU needed for a national endorsement.

As of 6:32 the brothers and sisters of SEIU are gone (there was something about a barbecue at Coralville headquarters), the music is over and the press corps is largely packed.