ChetChase 2010 - The Week

Orange you curious about Iowa's race for governor?

1. Branstad Announces Announcement Announcements -- It's a new year. We've got a classic 1983 Governor ready to roll. And the primary is just six months away.

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Road Trip.

Terry Branstad is officially preparing to make it official. He's going to visit 17 Iowa towns. It's showtime.

"Hello, Harlan! Are you ready for some steady, proven, experienced leadership at a critical juncture in Iowa's proud history...Hello?"

Nah. No worries. He'll bring them to their feet with hits like this:

"They've (the Legislature and governor have) already done some really bad things, such as ignoring the spending reforms that says they can't spend more than 99 percent of the December revenue estimate -- and we did that back in '92 ... but after I left they started putting in appropriations bills 'notwithstanding the 99 percent spending limit;' then, they'd go on and spend more than that," Branstad said.

What? They 86ed the 99 of '92 with a notwithstanding? To the ramparts.

Branstad's tour will not be stopping in Indianola, which is sure to be a big disappointment to state Rep. Kent Sorenson, R-Indianola.

Sorenson likes Branstad's rival Bob Vander Plaats, and issued a press release this week detailing his BVP devotion.

But we're all still a big, happy GOP family.  Right, Kent?

“Some of you may have heard that the establishment in my own party has brought Terry Branstad out of retirement to run for a fifth term as governor. Terry Branstad has always been kind to me, and is a respected figure in our party. Yet I have probably traveled this state more recently than he has, and I've heard from so many of you that are tired of career politicians,” Sorenson wrote. “To a lot of you out there in the grassroots nothing smacks of elitism more than thinking anybody ought to be governor for 20 years. I fear that by nominating someone viewed by many as a career politician who hasn't run a race in 15 years, the Republican Party may end up snatching defeat from the jaws of victory next November.”

But surely a good Republican like Branstad would be better than re-electing Democratic Gov. Chet Culver. Right?

Sorenson urged his supporters to “resolve to never cast one more vote for career politicians who stay in power so long it's hard to tell which party they belong to...”

“...It's obvious based on Branstad's recent complaints about a ‘confrontational right' that his campaign is based on country club nostalgia for a bygone era."

Where would Branstad get the notion that the right is confrontational? Thinking, thinking...

And does Sorenson mean Branstad longs to wear knickers and play with clubs that have bamboo shafts? Because if we're bringing that country club nostalgia back, count me in. I've got the legs for it.

And isn't this sort of the tea party calling the kettle bygone?

Earlier this year, Sorenson criticized U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, another Republican with the audacity to win elections and govern and talk to Democrats using his inside voice. Stupid popular, successful Republicans and your fancy establishment.

Lucky for Vander Plaats that he failed in two previous gubernatorial runs, so he was able to easily secure Sorenson's backing.

2. Culver is Out -- Washington Post political prognosticator Chris Cillizza set Iowa abuzz this week when he wondered aloud if Gov. Chet Culver might avoid the unpleasantness of an uphill re-election campaign by calling it quits. Other cool Dems are doing it.

This was of great interest to ChetChase, which would have to be renamed ChetQuit or ChetBye or ChetGo etc.

Indeed, Culver does appear to be laying the groundwork for his departure by trying to convince us he is running a full-scale re-election campaign. Crazy. Like a Fox!

For example, today he hired a "campaign manager" named Abby Curran. She worked for John Edwards and Dick Gephardt -- two men who ended their presidential campaigns! Do I have to draw a picture?

Other set pieces in Culver's elaborate ruse will include  fund-raisers, TV ads, rallies, debates and yard signs. I'm betting he milks this thing all the way until November. Clever, this one.

3. A Third-Rate Burglary? -- The Republican Party of Iowa's stately headquarters was burgled, apparently.

Chairman Matt Strawn issued a statement:

“The Iowa GOP headquarters was the target of an apparent break-in Thursday night. Officers with the Des Moines Police Department have been on the scene and Iowa GOP officials are cooperating with the ongoing investigation. We are eager to bring these criminals swiftly to justice

Probably just some third-rate burglary. Doubt it amounts to much. No reason I can think of to pursue the story any further.