Senate race brings in ‘heavy hitters’ for campaign

CEDAR RAPIDS - Bruce Braley and Joni Ernst have worked hard to highlight their differences in their race for an open U.S. Senate seat.

Most polls show that with less than a week until voting is over, the race will come down to the campaigns' get-out-the-vote efforts. So Ernst and Braley are turning to surrogates to fire up their supporters to carry the campaigns across the finish line.

At an American Legion post in Coralville Wednesday morning, Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain - the GOP presidential candidate in 2008 - called on veterans to 'go on one more mission … to make sure we get out the vote” for Ernst, a state senator from Red Oak.

Veterans, mostly men, are a key demographic for Ernst. The Quinnipiac University Poll released Wednesday morning showed her leading among men 56 percent to 39 percent.

A few hours later at a Cedar Rapids union hall, former first lady, U.S. senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered a message tailored to a key demographic for Braley - women. Quinnipiac found that although he trails Ernst 49 percent to 45 percent, Braley leads among women 50 percent to 42 percent.

'It's not enough to be a woman,” Clinton said about Ernst, who, if elected, would be the first Iowa woman elected to Congress.

'You have to be committed to expand rights and opportunities for all women,” Clinton added, prompting the loudest, longest applause of her 24-minute speech.

However, Linn County Democratic Vice Chairman Mike Robinson of Central City said candidates from both parties bring 'heavy hitters” to speak one of the most important demographics: campaign volunteers.

'This is a long process,” he said while waiting for Clinton at IBEW Local 405. 'Some of these people have been working on it for a year-and-a-half. So this is the kind of thing that lifts their spirits.”

In that way, it's a reward for their efforts. Clinton gave a shout-out to one volunteer, Helene Golden, who she said 'has made more phone calls than she can count.”

McCain rewarded Ernst supporters by working the room at the American Legion Post 721, shaking hands, exchanging salutes and posing for pictures with veterans and GOP activists, many who he called by name.

Just as Clinton delivered a message that women can trust Braley to protect their reproductive rights, McCain told about 150 people that Ernst will protect veterans' health care.

'I can't tell you how happy I will be to have someone on the Armed Services Committee with (Ernst's) background and knowledge and experience that she has,” McCain said. 'We need to care for the men and women who are serving. As importantly - in some way more importantly - we need to care for our veterans.”

Of course, Braley has been a member of the House Armed Services Committee. According to Ernst, he 'chose not to attend 75 percent of those full committee hearings at a time when he could have done something to change the course of our VA Health Care System,”

'Our veterans deserve better,” she said.

Women deserve better than Ernst, Clinton said. It's not enough that she's from Iowa and grew up in the middle class, she said, if Ernst if she's not going to fight for Iowans and fight for the middle class.

Clinton told her audience of about 400 to ask the candidates if they will make college more affordable, raise the minimum wage, protect Social Security and end tax breaks for companies that shop jobs overseas.

'You know where Bruce stands. He has been putting Iowa families first,” Clinton said.

Both campaigns appear to have run the course of big-name surrogates. Ernst has enlisted 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney and potential 2016 presidential candidates including Rand Paul, Marco Rubio and Mike Huckabee, for example.

Braley has received help from Vice President Joe Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Saturday, former President Bill Clinton will wrap up the surrogate parade with appearances for Braley in Des Moines and Waterloo.