The paper announced the winners of the annual “Best of Des Moines” readers poll in this week’s issue, with categories ranging from “Best Beer Selection” to “Best Place to See Beautiful People.” Hancock beat out two prominent television personalities — WHO-TV sportscaster Andy Fales and KCCI-TV anchor Kevin Cooney.

From Cityview:

Best News Commentator or Columnist
Jason Hancock, www.IowaIndependent.com
When David Yepsen announced last year that he was stepping down from his perch at The Des Moines Register after nearly three decades as Iowa’s premiere political journalist, the search began for someone to fill the void. Cityview readers apparently weren’t impressed with the Register’s pick (Kathie Obrada… something or another), so they turned to the online world and Jason Hancock of IowaIndependent.com. Hancock (a Cityview alum, for the record) proves that quality journalism isn’t dependent on a $51 million printing press. And while the daily metro paper may be fading fast, daily news is alive and well thanks to muckrakers like Hancock.

Cityview, owned by Des Moines-based Big Green Umbrella Media, has been publishing the “Best of Des Moines” poll for more than a decade.

Hancock joined The Iowa Independent in 2008 as a political reporter. He previously followed the Iowa Caucuses and the state General Assembly for Cityview; state and local politics for the New Albany (Ind.) Tribune; and communications, technology and transportation for the Des Moines Business Record. A native of Louisville, Ky., Jason graduated from Indiana University with a degree in journalism and political science.

He took over as editor of the site in December.

And while Hillary Clinton’s dour view of Iowa and John McCain’s penchant for exploding into obscenities has been covered by numerous news outlets, the relationship between John and Elizabeth Edwards was particularly fascinating.

The book is jam-packed with good stuff about the campaign. And Skinny, ever trying to be helpful, underlined the good parts. Here are some: …

… “John and Elizabeth [Edwards] were fighting all the time, sometimes all night long. More than once, she announced to the staff that she could no longer speak in public on her husband’s behalf or stay in the same hotel with him. Once, in the middle of the night, she woke up a trip director and commanded, Get me out of here! I’m not campaigning for this asshole another day!”

And:

“What the world saw in Elizabeth: a valiant, determined, heroic everywoman. What the Edwards insiders saw: an abusive, intrusive, paranoid, condescending crazywoman.”

And:

“At the [airport] terminal, the couple fought in the passenger waiting area. They fought outside in the private parking lot. Elizabeth was sobbing, out of control, incoherent. As their aides tried to look away, she tore off her blouse, exposing herself. ‘Look at me!’ she wailed at John and then staggered, nearly falling to the ground.”

Edwards, of course, was at one time favored to win in Iowa before finishing second in the caucuses and eventually dropping out of the campaign all together. Then, revelations of an extramarital affair ended his political career.

Former Gov. Terry Branstad

Skinny lays out the reasons why Branstad should remain a private citizen, as relayed to her by “a long-time Iowan, a political junkie and a big name in certain political — but nonpartisan — circles.”

From a bloody Republican primary to poll numbers with no place to go but down to the fact that losing would tarnish the unblemished political record of Iowa’s longest serving governor, Skinny makes the case that entering the 2010 gubernatorial contest has no upside.

Perhaps the most compelling reason, though, is that if he runs there is a very real possibility that he may win.

From Cityview:

… If you win, you’re stepping into an ugly mess. As a returning governor, expectations will be unrealistically high. You’ve seen what happened to Obama, who, for different reasons, ended up languishing in anticipointment. You assembled wise counsel when you were governor who helped you avoid many pitfalls and kept you focused. But Marvin Pomerantz is gone. While Doug Gross may become your new Marvin Pomerantz, who is your new Doug Gross? You’ll need superb staff — something recent Iowa governors have not enjoyed. You may face Democratic majorities in the Statehouse. If they take their cue from Washington, they will believe there is no benefit in giving you anything you want. Politics has changed since you were governor and only gotten harder.

Branstad has been flirting with a run for governor for months, saying he will make up his mind by October. Former state Rep. Sandy Greiner has formed a political action committee designed to convince Branstad he should run, and opponents (Democrat and Republican alike) are not waiting for him to re-enter politics to attack his 16 years in office.

But apparently, for some the joy over Dillon’s departure wasn’t based purely on Hawkeye pride.

Cityview gossip columnist Civic Skinny says some around Des Moines are pleased with the pick because it means they may finally get calls returned from the governor’s office.

“Patrick earned the job,” [Culver] told Register editors last week. “It will be nice to have someone else in the White House we can call when we need some help.” Ah, yes, but will Patrick return the calls? If he does, it will almost be a first. The chief of staff was notorious for letting the call slips pile up — and then, presumably, throwing them away. Some agency heads and other pols say when they really needed answers they went to Lt. Gov. Patty Judge — who sometimes seems to be running the state — or counsel Jim Larew.

Skinny goes on to say that several lobbyists said they are “planning on throwing a going-away party to celebrate his going away.”

Duffy will now have a weekly cartoon in the paper, ensuring his work continues to be seen by a Des Moines audience.

We offered space to former Des Moines Register cartoonist Brian Duffy in last week’s issue to publish his farewell cartoon, as the daily did not provide him with that opportunity. The page has now turned, and I am pleased to let you know that you will find Duffy’s cartoons each week in this paper.

Duffy’s job was one of 56 eliminated by the Register as part of an across the board payroll cut by its parent company, Gannett Co. According to Cityview gossip columnist Civic Skinny, since the announcement of Duffy’s dismissal the paper has had 700 cancelled subscriptions.

In this week’s issue of the Des Moines alternative newsweekly Cityview, Duffy was given a full page to publish a cartoon of his choice, according to the paper’s editor and publisher Shane Goodman.

“The Register lost an Iowa icon by dropping Duffy from their staff, and they are quickly finding that out… the hard way,” Goodman said in his note to readers.

The piece shows Duffy walking towards the horizon and away from the paper he worked at for a quarter century uttering the phrase “Sunset? No, a new sunrise.”

Duffy was one of 56 Register employees who lost their jobs last week. In subsequent interviews with Des Moines television stations he made it clear he did not appreciate the way in which his dismissal was handled.

While still syndicated in 400 newspapers around the country, Duffy said he has cancelled his Register subscription and will not allow his former employer to use his work ever again.

The idea, Skinny says, is that the move would bolster Gov. Chet Culver’s standing leading up to his re-election bid in 2010.

Here’s the guy’s note to Skinny: “Taking a page out of Vilsack’s playbook (for once), Chet wants Patty as the chair of IDP just as Vilsack had Sally Pederson as chair of the party.” He adds: “It makes sense to have the lieutenant governor overseeing the party as they roll into the 2010 campaign. Vilsack put Pederson in as chair in 2006 as they rolled into his unsuccessful presidential bid. Pederson’s draw was that she was universally liked by the party and had access to a big Rolodex of donors.” Then he asks, in what Skinny can interpret only as a snotty aside, “What is Patty’s draw?” (Well, she did have her name on every gas pump in the state for a few years.)

The theory goes that current Iowa Democratic Party chairman Scott Brennan will step down to either practice law or fill Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller’s position if he is tapped to serve in the administration of President-elect Barack Obama (Miller was an early and fervent supporter of Obama).

The first bunch of names: Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Chet Culver, Pat Murphy, Leonard Boswell. None of them were at Sunday’s Harkin Steak Fry, the state’s annual pre-eminent event for Democrats.

While it’s true to say this year’s event was more subdued than last year’s, Boswell not only attended the event, but he gave a speech on stage.  Just saying.

Reed, a 36-year-old businessman from Marion, is tasked with trying to unseat five-term incumbent Sen. Tom Harkin, and he’s doing it while being out raised by millions of dollars. According to reports filed with the Federal Elections Commission on June 30, Reed has raised a little more than $11,000, with $292 cash on hand. Harkin, by contrast, has raised more than $5 million, with $4.1 million cash on hand.

But according to Civic Skinny, who went through Reed’s campaign expenditures, regardless of whether he’s successful this fall, at least he looks like a winner.

On April 18, he anted up $263.14 for “suit, coat, ties” at Holley’s Men Shop in Cedar Rapids, and three days later he went back to Holley’s and spent $61.75 on “sport coat, shirt, ties.” That same day he parted with another $41.87 for clothing, at an unspecified place, and in mid-May he switched to the Men’s Warehouse, where he spent $237.42 for “clothing.” He also charged his campaign for at least three haircuts at a place called Cost Cutters, and he went on E-bay and ponied up $3.24 for a flag pin. Finally, he used $200 of his $11,765 for make-up before a debate on Iowa Public Television.

Skinny went on to question whether Reed’s donors would approve of his spending habits, comparing them to Harkin’s.

Harkin, who apparently uses his own money for haircuts and clothing, had cash on hand of $4,109,219.06 at the end of June. That’s enough for about 242,000 haircuts at Cost Cutters — or 1,268,277 flag pins on E-bay.

Apparently, subtlety is not Civic Skinny’s strong suit.