Latham: Caucuses more important than Iowa straw poll

JOHNSTON - If it comes down to a choice between precinct caucuses and the Iowa GOP straw poll, U.S. Rep. Tom Latham is squarely on the side of protecting and preserving the caucuses.

The straw poll, a daylong political festival in the August preceding the election-year precinct caucuses, has been a success for the Republican Party of Iowa in attracting potential GOP presidential nominees as well as international media coverage.

'We raise a lot of money. It creates a lot of interest,” said Latham, a former Republican Party of Iowa Central Committee member who is retiring from the House after 10 terms.

'I don't think it's absolutely critical,” Latham said Friday on Iowa Public Television's 'Iowa Press,” which can be seen at 8:30 a.m. Saturday on IPTV World, noon Sunday on IPTV and online at www.IPTV.org.

That's because there's more at stake than the prestige of hosting the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

The straw poll raises money for the state party, but the caucuses give Iowa political leverage the state would not have if it were not the critical first stop on the road to the White House, Latham said.

'I will tell you we would never get initiatives for Iowa, if you like ethanol or not, whatever, but that would never happen if it wasn't for the Iowa caucuses,” Latham said.

Most potential candidates for the GOP nomination have pledged their support for tax credits and other federal help in establishing Iowa's biofuels industry. The state has 43 ethanol and 12 biodiesel facilities that employ about 5,000 people.

Swin the caucuses and the nomination.

A more important argument for Latham is the criticism from Republicans around the country who regularly complain about the attention Iowa gets from hosting the first-in-the-nation caucuses.

'I think a lot of people on the outside think we're like double-dipping and maybe we should focus on maintaining the caucuses here rather than the straw poll,” he said. 'I guess I would go along with that idea” if maintaining the straw poll put the caucuses in jeopardy.

The state GOP Central Committee is scheduled to make a decision on the future of the straw poll Jan. 10.

HOW TO WATCH

l What: Retiring U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, R-Iowa, on Iowa Public Television's 'Iowa Press”

l When: Noon Sunday on IPTV

l On the Web: Go to www.IPTV.org to watch the program online.