Culver needs to shape up to avoid losing job

Gov. Culver is in deep trouble. If something doesn't change, he could be the first incumbent Iowa governor defeated since Norman Erbe lost to Harold Hughes in 1962.

A recent SurveyUSA poll found his overall approval rating at 42 percent. Among independents, it's 35 percent.

Worse still, among Democrats, Culvers approval rating is only 62 percent. Culver seems to have forgotten the all-important maxim: dance with the one who brought you. A disturbing number of party activists have told me they've been snubbed by the governor, as have many elected officials. My own story:

After a series of meetings in July of 2006, Culver promised me he would advocate for campaign finance reform and support legislation to control urban sprawl. After nearly two-and-a-half years of mostly unreturned phone calls, I finally shared my discontent publicly this April.

But instead of offering to dance, Culver's staff chose to publicly deride my concerns.

In 2006, I spoke on behalf of Culver at numerous events, raised money for him. This time around, unless something changes, that's not going to happen.

Gov. Culver must demand his staff be more responsive, follow through on the issues he promised to address and stop stepping on so many toes.

Ed Fallon

Des Moines