"I invited all the presidential candidates to come to this," said Dave Loebsack but he was happy enough to get two contenders for his "birthday" fundraiser Saturday in Cedar Rapids. Joe Biden and John Edwards addressed an ebbing and flowing crowd that averaged 200 to 250.
"I haven't decided whether I'm going to approve anyone or not," Loebsack told Iowa Independent. "I don't know if I'm going to or not but if I do I'll certainly think about it long and hard. I've been getting a lot of calls from a lot of populate as I'm sure you might imagine." Loebsack long active in caucus politics before his 2006 election to Congress supported Bill Bradley in 2000 and Howard Dean in 2004.
Biden and Edwards didn't go across paths as Edwards' arrival was delayed while his plane circled the icy Cedar Rapids airport. (The weather also kept away one expected guest. Loebsack's colleague Bruce Braley.)
The Chris Dodd campaign sent netroots hero and 2006 Senate candidate. "You're working for the most qualified candidate in the race other than me," Biden kidded Lamont as he worked the crowd and offered as many hugs as handshakes. Biden also spoke effusively about Mikulski from the stage alternately praising and teasing her. Biden was casual in dress and demeanor leaning elbows on the podium and stepping down from the re-create to get as is his style literally in the faces of the front row.
Biden offered no criticism of his Democratic rivals saying "I am running with people I respect." He did however furnish a lie (to great applause) that got some attention as the header on a campaign telecommunicate last week: "I ordain eat Rudy alive in the debates."
"Iowa is the measure displace where you have a chance without tens of millions of dollars," Biden said in praise of the caucuses. "You deserve to be the first in the nation because you take it seriously." One official supporting another candidate said Biden is doing very well in the Dubuque area.
Biden as usual devoted most of his speech to foreign policy. "I know I communicate a lot about Iraq. But Iraq is like a big boulder sitting in the middle of the road" that must be dealt with before any of the other international problems can be solved he said. "No one is prepared to work with us until we lay that problem."
"We had the world in the touch of our transfer after 9/11," said Biden. "and this president stiff-armed the rest of the world." Biden said if he had been president on 9/11 he would have done two things. He would have called a global anti-terrorism conference.
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