Harkin promises Braley victory

DES MOINES - Tom Harkin's pending retirement after 30 years in the U.S. Senate created a horse race that appears headed down to the wire.

On Saturday night, Harkin assured 750 Iowa Democrats of the outcome of that race.

'I've been around a long time. I've seen a lot of races, I've seen a lot of elections,” Harkin said, leaning forward and pointing to the crowd for emphasis. 'You can take this to the bank: mark my words, this will be a very close race, but Bruce Braley is going to be the next senator from the state of Iowa. I guarantee it.”

Harkin made that Joe Namath-esque promise during the Iowa Democratic Party's annual Jefferson Jackson Dinner fundraiser Saturday night at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.

Braley is locked in a close race with Republican Joni Ernst for the U.S. Senate seat left open by Harkin's retirement. Most recent polls have showed Ernst with small leads of just a couple percentage points, but within the margin of error.

'I hope you'll excuse me for this personally, but I believe very strongly in Bruce Braley,” Harkin said. 'He is a fighter for working people and their families. … He's a progressive who's never lost touch with his roots in rural Iowa. With Bruce Braley, there is no hidden agenda. He will always do what's right for Iowans, for all Iowans, the farmer and the laborer, the teacher and the businessmen, the student and the senior.”

Jeff Link, a political strategist who has been working with Braley's campaign, said he believes Braley can cover that ground in the campaign's final week-plus. He said internal polling has showed movement in Braley's direction, and he believes momentum is on Braley's side after news broke that Ernst canceled her editorial board meeting with the Des Moines Register and failed to schedule meetings with other Iowa newspapers.

'I think we're in good shape,” Link said. 'In every one of those polls, the undecided vote is larger than the difference between us. … Things are moving in our direction.”

Amy Klobuchar, a Democratic U.S. senator from Minnesota, delivered the keynote address at the event.

The party's leaders in the Iowa Legislature and congressional candidates also spoke.

l Comments: (515) 422-9061; erin.murphy@lee.net