Gibbons, who coached ISU to an NCAA championship in 1987, said he will leave his job at Wells Fargo Advisers to campaign full time. He has never held public office.

Zaun told CQ Politics he will make a formal announcement of his intentions to run in the GOP primary Dec. 1. Zaun is a former Urbandale mayor and is serving his second term in the Iowa Senate.

The two join retired pilot Dave Funk, who declared his intentions to run earlier this year.

Boswell might be vulnerable to a strong Republican challenger, they note, but the results from 2008 prove that he’s on solid political footing. His district is now designated ’Safe Democratic.’

And of Latham, they say that he “has strong campaign skills, looks out for his constituents as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, and has a solid enough Republican base in the district’s many small cities and rural areas.” His district is now designated ‘Safe Republican.’

Congressional campaigns had to turn in their quarterly fundraising reports this week, documenting money raised and spent between July 1 and Sept. 30. Information about other elected officials and challengers is below.

Fourth District Rep. Tom Latham, R-Ames, is next on the list, raising $153,507 during the quarter. His campaign has nearly $420,000 cash on hand.

Third District Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Des Moines, raised $104,132, bringing his cash-on-hand total to $343,215.

Second District Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Mt. Vernon, raised $101,200 and has $278,404 cash on hand.

Fifth District Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, raised $70,570 and has $173,833 cash on hand.

Several challengers also filed reports. Republican Dave Funk, who is running against Boswell, raised $16,477and ended the quarter with $6,226 cash on hand. Democrat Mike Denklau, who is running against King, raised $13,615 but has more than $10,000 in campaign debt.

That’s because the trips were paid for by Latham’s political action committee and touted as fundraising events, a practice that is legal but that government reform advocates contend turns the PAC into little more than a slush fund designed to skirt campaign finance law.

U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, R-Ames.

And an Iowa Independent investigation found similar trips to prestigious golf resorts around the country throughout 2008, all paid for with PAC money.

These types of political action committees, known as “Leadership PACs,” are designed as a way for lawmakers to raise money to be passed along to other members of their party for their campaigns. By making donations to members of their party, lawmakers can use their leadership PACs to gain clout and boost their bids for leadership posts or committee chairmanships.

But a joint investigation by the nonprofit news site ProPublica, ABC News and the Washington Post found that a majority of the money raised by leadership PACs goes to entertainment, administrative costs, fundraising and other categories that “are so vague that it’s impossible to know for sure how the money was spent.”

ProPublica found lawmakers used money from their PACs to pay for trips to places like Churchill Downs, Disney World and the Country Music Hall of Fame. They found that Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., used nearly $65,000 to commission a portrait of himself.

All five of Iowa’s congressmen and both senators have leadership PACs (Sen. Tom Harkin has two). But Latham’s organization, dubbed For America’s Republican Majority (FARM PAC) is getting the lion’s share of attention.

Latham, along with House Minority Leader John Boehner, Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss and North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, held a golf outing touted as a fundraiser for their leadership PACs at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia in July.

In June, Latham hosted an Atlantic City weekend to benefit his PAC. Lodging at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort cost FARM PAC $1,377.36.

Disclosure reports filed in 2008 with the Federal Election Commission show FARM PAC paid for hotel accommodations at prestigious golf resorts around the country, including the Greenbriar Resort in September;  The St. Regis Hotel-Monarch Beach in Dana Point, Calif. in August; and the LaQuinta Resort & Club near Palm Springs, Calif., in January.

Since returning to the capitol from the August recess, Latham has held two D.C. fundraisers for FARM PAC, with a third scheduled for Oct. 27.

FARM PAC has raised more than $75,000 this year. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the largest donors to FARM PAC in 2009 include Altria Group (formerly Philip Morris), AT&T, California Dairies Inc. and Latham for Congress. The PAC raised $205,447 during the 2008 election cycle, with almost all of it coming from lobbyists, PACs and corporate leaders.

For some reason, ProPublica did not include Latham’s PAC in their breakdown of more than 400 leadership PACs. The site did, however, look at rest of Iowa’s congressional delegation and found that they have not followed down a similar path as Latham.

More than 80 percent of money spent during the 2008 election cycle by Democratic Rep. Bruce Braley’s leadership PAC, Bringing Leadership Back PAC, was spent on campaign contributions to fellow Democrats.

Republican Rep. Steve King’s Conservative Principals PAC spent nearly 50 percent of its money on what ProPublica classifies as “entertainment, events and travel,” mostly on payments to the fundraising telecommunications company Liberty Phone Center.

Democratic Rep. Dave Loebsack’s I-PAC and Democratic Rep. Leonard Boswell’s BOSPAC spent almost all of the very small amount of money raised in 2008 on campaign contributions.

A little more than 70 percent of the money spent by Harkin’s Independent Action Inc. during the 2008 election cycle went for administrative costs. As for his To Organize a Majority PAC, more than 57 percent of its expenditures went to campaign contributions for Harkin’s senate colleagues, with 25 percent going to “fundraising consultants.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley’s Hawkeye PAC spent nearly 78 percent of its money on campaign contributions.

Responding to a request for comment, Latham’s spokesman, Fred Love, said in an e-mail to the Iowa Independent that the congressman’s official office does not work with or speak on behalf of any campaign committees. Phone calls to the number listed for the Alexandria, Va., offices of FARM PAC were not answered.

For more background on the controversy surrounding leadership PACs, read ProPublica’s report here.

“Mark my word — I’m the chairman — it’s going to have a strong public option,” said Harkin, who last week replaced the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee.

“[It] now falls to me to pick up the torch” left by Kennedy, he noted.

Health care was a popular subject for all of the federal lawmakers assembled here Sunday.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, a member of the conservative Blue Dog caucus, received praise from his colleagues for standing up in a Democratic caucus meeting to declare his support for a public health insurance option. Other Blue Dogs have been reluctant to sign on to that component of President Barack Obama’s proposal.

Boswell and fellow Democratic U.S. Reps. Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack also expressed optimism that a final bill would include measures to reform medicare reimbursement rates. Medicare currently pays doctors in rural states like Iowa less than what doctors in densely populated states receive for the same procedures.

The event’s headliner, former comedian and newly-elected U.S. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), noted that while health care remains excellent in the United States, the health care system is broken. He, too, expressed optimism that a public insurance option would be included in the final health care reform bill.

On par with the previous 31 Steak Fry events, the day was heavy on partisan zingers and red meat for the strongly Democratic audience.

“This is my kind of town hall,” said Harkin at the beginning of his speech, as the crowd stood to cheer. Town hall forums across the country last month were tense and, at times, violent, as conservative activists targeted elected officials who supported health care reform.

Harkin also criticized Iowa’s senior senator, Republican Chuck Grassley, who famously repeated the false claim that if Democratic reform measures pass, the government would euthanize the elderly. ”Shame on anyone who repeats it,” he said, avoiding direct mention of Grassley’s name.

On the subject of Republican politicians, Franken said, “They run for office saying the government doesn’t work. Then, they get elected, and they prove it.”

Boswell had been hesitant to support a public option in health care reform legislation previously, telling a crowd in Sigourney earlier this month that he still hasn’t decided whether he could support a government competitor to private insurance companies.

A week and a half later, it appears Boswell has warmed up to the idea, reports Radio Iowa’s Kay Henderson:

“I’ve come to the conclusion over these last several years that we need some kind of a public option,” Boswell said, to applause and cheers — and a few jeers from others in the crowd who don’t share his opinion. “I also realize that it’s got to be constructed very carefully.”

Boswell, a member of the fiscally conservative “Blue Dogs” in the U.S. House, had said previously that a public option could “be something I can’t vote for.”

And thanks to promises from conservative groups to stack meetings with activists in order to disrupt health-care town halls and other events, when Congressmen return to their districts to meet with constituents they expect to receive a rowdy reception.

Iowa’s Congressional delegation is no different. All five Congressmen and both Senators will hold town hall forums across the state, many focused exclusively on health care. While several have not finalized their August schedule, all are aware of the publicity surrounding raucous meetings in other states.

On the conservative blog Iowa Defense Alliance, blogger Albert Bregar describes a town hall forum in Knoxville held by Rep. Leonard Boswell that became heated over energy policy.

Jane Slusark, Boswell’s press secretary, said that the congressman has had no problems at any forums held so far.

“Congressman [Boswell] is using his time in the district to engage with his constituents on the issues that matter to them most,” Slusark said. “We are fortunate that the people who have come out to listen and talk with the Congressman have been respectful and interested in having a constructive conversation.”

Democrats say conservative groups are engaging in “astroturfing,” or creating the appearance of grass roots opposition when none exist.

The Democratic National Committee produced a Web ad connecting the town hall disturbances with conspiracy theorists known as birthers and the TEA Party movement, a faux grassroots uprising sponsored by conservative organizations like former Republican U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey’s FreedomWorks.

A leaked memo from Bob MacGuffie, a volunteer with the FreedomWorks Web site “Tea Party Patriots,” describes how members should infiltrate town hall meetings and harass and intimidate Democratic members of Congress:

Spread out in the hall and try to be in the front half. The objective is to put thle Rep on the defensive with your questions and follow-up … You need to rock-the-boat early in the Rep’s presentation. Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the Rep’s statements early. If he blames Bush for something or offers other excuses — call him on it, yell back and have someone else follow-up with a shout-out … The goal is to rattle him …”

In response, pro-reform groups have begun an effort of their own to get supporters to meetings. A strategy memo from the group Health Care for America Now encourages members to attend forums and advises activists on how to respond to an anti-reform disruption.

While several have not made their August schedule public, below is a list of what promises to be spirited forums being held by Iowa’s delegation this month:

Rep. Leonard Boswell (full August schedule not yet public)

Thursday, Aug. 13
2 to 3 p.m.
Sigourney Listening Post on Health Care
Sigourney Public Library
720 East Jackson St.
Sigourney, Iowa

Rep. Bruce Braley

Tuesday, Aug. 18
2 p.m.
Jackson County Regional Health Center
700 W. Grove Street
Maquoketa, Iowa

Wednesday, Aug. 19
10:00am
Fayette Congress on Your Corner (one-on-one meetings with Rep. Braley)
Upper Iowa University
Garbee Hall, Fayette/Upper Iowa Room
605 Washington St
Fayette, Iowa

1:30 p.m.
Buchanan County Healthcare Town Hall
Independence Library
805 1st Street E
Independence, Iowa

Wednesday, Aug. 26
1 p.m.
Butler County Healthcare Town Hall
Aplington-Parkersburg Middle School
215 10th Street
Aplington, Iowa

3 p.m.
Bremer County Healthcare Town Hall
Waverly Health Center
Rooftop Garden
312 9th Street SW
Waverly, Iowa

Monday, Aug. 31
10 a.m.
Clinton County Healthcare Town Hall
Ashford University
Durgin Center
400 North Bluff Blvd.
Clinton, Iowa

Rep. Dave Loebsack

Saturday, Aug. 15
9:30 a.m.
Kirkwood Community College
6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Noon
Civic Center
307 East Monroe Street
Mount Pleasant, Iowa

2 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
811 Avenue E
Fort Madison, Iowa

3:30 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
400 Washington Street
Burlington, Iowa

Saturday, Aug. 22
10 a.m.
Public Library
123 S. Linn St.
Iowa City, Iowa

11:45 a.m.
Cedar County Extension
107 Cedar Street
Tipton, Iowa

2 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
215 Sycamore Street
Muscatine, Iowa

4 p.m.
City Hall Council Chambers
232 2nd Street
Columbus Junction, Iowa

Saturday, Aug. 29
10:30 a.m.
Public Library
120 East Main Street
Washington, Iowa

1 p.m.
Fairfield Public Library
104 W. Adams St.
Fairfield, Iowa

2:30 p.m.
Ottumwa Public Library
102 W. Fourth
Ottumwa, Iowa

4:15 p.m.
Bloomfield- Davis County Hospital
509 N. Madison
Bloomfield, Iowa

Rep. Tom Latham
August schedule not available.

Rep. Steve King
August schedule not available.

Sen. Tom Harkin (full schedule not finalized)

Saturday, Aug. 8
2 p.m.
Des Moines Primary Health Care
1200 University Ave.
Des Moines, Iowa

Monday, Aug. 10
9:15 a.m.
Peoples Community Health Center
905 Franklin St.
Waterloo, Iowa

11:30 a.m.
Linn Community Care Center
1201 3rd Ave. SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Tuesday, Aug. 11
9 a.m.
Scott Community College
500 Belmont Road
Bettendorf, Iowa

Wednesday, Aug. 12
1:30 p.m.
Ft. Dodge Community Health Center
126 N. 10th Street
Fort Dodge, Iowa

3:30 p.m.
Main Street Visit
602 Broad St.
Story City, Iowa

Thursday, Aug. 13
5:45 p.m.
Parker Opera House, Park Inn Hotel, & Lundberg Building
7 North Federal Ave
Mason City, Iowa

Sen. Chuck Grassley

Wednesday, Aug. 12
9:15 to 10:15 a.m.
Winterset Public Library
123 North 2nd St.
Winterset, Iowa

11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Afton City Hall Council Chambers
115 East Kansas St.
Afton, Iowa

2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Panora Community Center
115 West Main St.
Panora, Iowa

4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Adel Public Library
303 South 10th St.
Adel, Iowa

Monday, Aug. 24
9 to 10 a.m.
Rustix Restaurant
716 Sumner Ave.
Humbolt, Iowa

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Ruthven Social Center
1503 Rolling St.
Ruthven, Iowa

2 to 3 p.m.
Pocahontas Public Library
12 2nd Ave. NW
Pocahontas, Iowa

4:25 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Rockwell City Community Center on the Square
424 Main St.
Rockwell City, Iowa

Wednesday, Aug. 26
10:15 to 11:15 a.m.
Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor
14 5th Ave. NW
LeMars, Iowa

12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Sanford Museum
116 E. Willow St.
Cherokee, Iowa

2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Ida County Community REC Center
311 Barnes St.
Ida Grove, Iowa

Thursday, Aug. 27
8 to 9 a.m.
Emmet County Farm Bureau
421 1st Ave. N
Estherville, Iowa

10 to 11 a.m.
Sami Bedell Center for the Performing Arts
612 28th St.
Spirit Lake, Iowa

Noon to 1 p.m.
Merry Lanes
945 3rd Ave.
Sibley, Iowa

1:45 to 2:45 p.m.
George North Community Room
115 S. Main St.
George, Iowa

“The price increase announced today will provide immediate relief to dairy farmer around the country and keep many on the farm while they weather one of the worst dairy crisis in decades,” Vilsack said in a prepared statement.

The price paid for nonfat dry milk will increase from roughly 80 cents per pound to 92 cents per pound. Cheddar blocks are expected to rise from $1.13 per pound to $1.31 per pound, while cheddar barrels will move from $1.10 per pound to $1.28 per pound. Temporarily raising the price of these dairy products typically increases the price that dairy farmers receive for the milk they produce.

Under the Dairy Product Price Support Program, the USDA serves as a buyer of last resort to help clear commodity dairy markets during periods of exceptionally low farm-level prices. For instance, if cheddar barrels sell for $1.20 per pound in the private market, the government provides the difference to dairy farmers up to the guaranteed price it has set.

Today’s news is the latest attempt by the USDA to aid struggling dairy farmers who are receiving the lowest payments for raw milk the industry has seen since the 1970s, and a move praised by the National Milk Producers Federation.

“This step by the USDA to raise farm-level milk prices comes at a critical time, and is yet another important effort the agency has made to help dairy farmers survive the worst recession in their lifetimes,” said Jerry Kozak, president and chief executive of NMPF.

Federal action was also praised by U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) who said that Iowa’s “2,390 dairy farms will benefit directly” from the additional government assistance.

“I applaud Secretary Vilsack for taking action on behalf of the country’s dairy farmers and for responding so immediately to the concerns voiced by myself and other members of Congress,” he said.

The USDA has already boosted purchases through the support program and resurrected a subsidy program that pays to export non-fat dry milk.

Vilsack also indicated that he and other federal officials are reviewing dairy policies to determine what changes are needed to reduce price volatility and enhance farmer profitability. Federal and private banks are being encouraged by Vilsack to be lenient with dairy farmers who have outstanding loans, although the USDA has offered no details as to the extent or tone of the encouragement.

According to a joint press release by U.S. Reps. Bruce Braley (Waterloo), Leonard Boswell (Des Moines) and Dave Loebsack (Mt. Vernon), the three have helped negotiate a compromise to health care reform that will effectively mandate a government move to a quality-centric payment system following a two-year study period.

The full press release is below:

Washington, DC – Reps. Leonard Boswell, Dave Loebsack, and Bruce Braley today announced a major breakthrough on the issue of Medicare payment reform as the healthcare reform debate continues to intensify in Congress.  Boswell, Loebsack, and Braley have been outspoken advocates for changing the way Medicare pays healthcare providers for services, from its current fee-for-service system into a quality and value-based system.

Boswell, Loebsack, and Braley helped negotiate a compromise adding language to the healthcare reform bill changing Medicare to a quality-based payment system in two years.  Specifically, the compromise would (1) require Medicare to conduct a two-year study on a value-based system, and (2) at the end of the two year study period, Medicare would switch to a quality-based system unless Congress specifically cast a vote to disallow that change.

“This compromise represents a major breakthrough in healthcare reform that will save taxpayers billions of dollars and reduce costly, unneeded procedures that don’t improve patient outcomes,” Congressman Braley said. “Our healthcare system should reward the best care.  A quality-based approach for Medicare will reduce costs to taxpayers and increase the quality of care for everyone, all while rewarding doctors in states like Iowa who provide the most efficient and effective healthcare.

“This issue has been a top concern of mine since I first entered Congress,” said Congressman Boswell. “This is a significant step forward for our state and the prospects of bringing real reform to our health care system.  I am pleased to have worked with my colleagues from Iowa on this massive fix and I am eager to see the final version of the bill.”

“Fixing the broken Medicare system so that our patients receive the highest quality care is critical to reforming the way health care works in this country,” said Congressman Loebsack. “By rewarding quality, we help ensure that patients are diagnosed correctly, are not forced to undergo unnecessary procedures, and have access to quality health care providers. It’s about time we rewarded care based on quality, not quantity.”

Medicare currently operates under a fee-for-service system, basing payments to doctors and hospitals on the amount of procedures completed and the number of patients seen.  This system creates a financial incentive to order more and more procedures.  Ironically, according to many studies, this increased number of procedures does not result in better outcomes for patients.

Boswell, Loebsack, and Braley have strongly advocated a switch to a Medicare payment system based on value and quality, which determines payments based on procedures’ effect on patient health.  In June, Rep. Braley introduced the Medicare Payment Improvement Act with Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI).  Reps. Boswell and Loebsack are co-sponsors of the legislation.  The bill would have required Medicare to switch to a quality-based payment system, outlining specific details on how to measure quality and value.

Boswell has raised $309,184 this year, with nearly 75 percent coming from Political Action Committees. As of June 30, the Des Moines Democrat had $296,451 cash on hand.

Next up with Republican Rep. Tom Latham of Ames, who has raised $299,180 this year, nearly half of which came from PACs. Latham has $303,241 cash on hand.

First District Democrat Bruce Braley has raised $298,614, nearly 60 percent from PACs. Braley has the most cash on hand of any of Iowa’s congressmen, with $348,125.

Republican Rep. Steve King brought in $200,956, with less than 20 percent coming from PACs. He has $216,301 cash on hand.

Bringing up the rear this quarter is Second District Rep. Dave Loebsack with $60,558, more than half of which came from PACs. Loebsack has $144,317 cash on hand.