Research Briefing

Culver Campaign Is Failing Because Of Broken Jobs Promises,

And Biden’s Record Is No Better

“‘Iowa's Democratic Gov. Chet Culver Is Getting Some Front-Line Help In His Tough Re-Election Race From Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr,’CQ Reports. The Vice President Will Appear With Culver At A May 18th Rally In Cedar Rapids.”  (“The Midterms: GOP Team Back Together?” MSNBC’s “First Read,” Blog, 5/13/10)

BIDEN IS COMING TO IOWA BECAUSE CULVER’S RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN IS CRASHING

Culver Now Trails Potential Republican Opponent Former-Gov. Terry Branstad By 15 Points – 53 Percent To 38 Percent. (Rasmussen Reports Poll, 500 LV, MoE +/- 4.5%, 4/29/10)

And Culver’s Approval Rating Is Just 42 Percent, While 56 Percent Disapprove. (Rasmussen Reports Poll, 500 LV, MoE +/- 4.5%, 4/29/10)

CULVER AND BIDEN BOTH PROMISED THEIR AGENDA WOULD CREATE JOBS …

Gov. Chet Culver Said I-Jobs Would Create Thousands Of Jobs. “Iowa Gov. Chet Culver on Friday scaled back expectations for the number of jobs his $830 million public works program enacted last year would create. . . ‘I don’t think people should expect huge job numbers,’ Culver said at a meeting with Des Moines Register editors and reporters. . . In urging the program’s passage last year, Culver had said it could create 21,000 to 30,000 jobs. Friday, Culver trimmed the estimate to ‘hopefully hundreds if not thousands.’” (Tom Beaumont, “Culver Cuts Job Estimate For I-JOBS Program,” The Des Moines Register, 1/16/10)

Vice-President Joe Biden Has Said The Stimulus Is “Unquestionabl[y]” Working To Create Jobs. “Biden told several hundred gathered in the factory it's ‘unquestionable’ that the stimulus is creating jobs and reviving the economy. ‘It’s helped people getting through these very tough times,’ Biden said.” (Kristen Wyatt, “Biden Tells Colo. Crowd Stimulus ‘Is Working,’” Vail Daily, 4/30/10)

… BUT IOWANS HAVE ONLY SEEN WASTE AND ABUSE, NOT JOBS

Since The Stimulus Was Passed, Iowa Has Lost Over 25,000 Jobs. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 5/15/10)

• And Since Culver’s I-Jobs Program Was Passed 5,800 Jobs Have Been Lost.  (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov, Accessed 5/15/10)

But Stimulus Created 39 Jobs In Phantom Districts in Iowa. “In Oklahoma, recovery.gov lists more than $19 million in spending -- and 15 jobs created -- in yet more congressional districts that don’t exist. In Iowa, it shows $10.6 million spent and 39 jobs created -- in nonexistent districts. In Connecticut’s 42nd district (which also does not exist), the Web site claims 25 jobs created with zero stimulus dollars.” (Jonathan Karl, “Exclusive: Jobs ‘Saved or Create’ In Congressional Districts That Don’t Exist,” ABC News, 11/16/09)

• And Went For Stoves That Were Going To Be Ordered Anyway. “Project #55 in the report states that: ‘With the help of Recovery Act funding, Zeglin’s Home TV & Appliance, a locally-owned and operated company, is currently replacing stoves in Public Housing units in Davenport, Iowa, with American-made Whirlpool appliances.’ The reality: Zeglins TV & Appliance, Inc. in Davenport, recently placed an order for 160 stoves and refrigerators for public housing ... But, this was a project that had already been approved by Davenport city council to be paid for by federal monies, Margaret Murphy the Assisted Housing Manager for the city, tells ABC News ... The point is: those stoves would have been purchased and installed anyway.” (Jake Tapper, “Follow The Stimulus, Part 2: Stoves In Davenport, Iowa,” ABC News’ “Political Punch” Blog, 5/29/09)

AND CULVER AND BIDEN PROMISED HEALTH CARE WOULD HELP IOWA FAMILIES …

Biden Said Dems Were Addressing Health Care In Part To Help “Small- Business Owners In Iowa Who Can Barely Afford To Cover Himself, Let Alone Provide Health Insurance For Their Employees.” “You know -- you know, folks, everyone in Washington is talking about health care, and rightly so. It's perhaps the foremost economic and moral issue that this administration is determined to deal with. But not everyone is talking about you all. And -- and I'm here to tell you that small businesses, small-business employees, as well as the employers, are not a small concern for us. I hear the stories all the time, back in the days when I was a senator for some time and now as vice president. I hear about small- business owners in Iowa who can barely afford to cover himself, let alone provide health insurance for their employees, and having to make a choice as to whether or not they build their business or provide health care.” (Vice President Joe Biden, Remarks At Middle Class Task Force Discussion On Health Care Costs, Washington, DC, 7/10/09)

Culver Said Health Care Bill Would Be Even More Popular Once Iowans “Hear The Real Story About What This Means To Hard-Working Families In This State.” “Culver, a Democrat who is seeking a second term this year, says he ‘absolutely’ wants Obama back to Iowa later this year to help him campaign for reelection. ‘I think President Obama has just achieved an historic accomplishment, something that presidents for generations have tried to do, and that’s health care reform,’ Culver says.  ‘I think when Iowans, when Americans hear the real story about what this means to hard-working families in this state and this country, he’s going to become even more popular.’” (O. Kay Henderson, “Culver Predicts Obama Popularity To Soar With Health Care Reform Accomplished,” Radio Iowa, 3/25/10)

• Culver “Wholeheartedly” Endorsed ObamaCare. “The three Republicans running for governor want to steer Iowa toward the column of states pushing to overturn key aspects of the new federal health care law. … [A]ll three break sharply on the issue with Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat who wholeheartedly endorses the federal law.” (Thomas Beaumont, “GOP Governor Candidates Back Health-Law Challenge,” Des Moines Register, 4/7/10)

… BUT HEALTH CARE WILL ONLY MEAN FEWER JOBS FOR IOWA WORKERS

Iowa’s Largest Employer, John Deere, Is Losing $150 Million This Year Because Of Dems’ Government-Run Health Care Law. “Deere & Company, Iowa’s largest manufacturing employer, said in a statement this morning that the recently-passed health care legislation will cost the company $150 million after tax this year... Golden said Deere and other companies warned congress in a letter last December that the imposition of a tax on the prescription costs would force publicly-traded corporations like Deere to publicly account for the extra costs. Deere said the impact of the legislation had not been included in its forecast for a profit of $1.3 billion for this year...” (Dan Piller, “Deere Says Health Care Bill Will Cost It $150 Mill ion,” The Des Moines Register’s “Green Fields” Blog, 3/25/10)

• VP At Deere Said “His Company Should Look At The Alternatives” Such As “Denying Coverage And Just Paying The Penalty.” “Kenneth Huhn, vice president of labor relations at Deere, said in an internal email that his company should look at the alternatives to providing health benefits, which ‘would amount to denying coverage and just paying the penalty,’ and that he felt he already had the ability to make this change under his company's labor agreement. Caterpillar felt it would have to give ‘serious consideration’ to the penalty option.” (Shawn Tully, “Documents Reveal AT&T, Verizon, Others, Thought About Dropping Employer-Sponsored Benefits,” Fortune, 5/5/10)

“For Example, Wersen Calculates His Company Will Pay 50 To 70 Percent More For Health Coverage Over The Next Three To Four Years To Meet The New Federal Law.”  (Donelle Eller, Iowa Businesses Say Uncertainty Stifles Hiring,” The Des Moines Register, 5/16/10)

• Tanning Salon Owner In Iowa Said Many Of Her Customers Don’t Know About The Tax And Questions If They’ll Want To Pay More To Tan. “Owners of salons such as Siren Tan in West Des Moines said are not happy about it. ... ‘I think it’s sad the government comes in and tells my customers they are going to be charged more if they chose to look good,’ said Jody Wilson, owner of Siren Tan. Wilson says most of her customers don’t know about the new tanning tax and she’s concerned about whether they will want to pay an extra $3 for a typical $30 tanning session.” (“Tanning Tax Burns Salon Owners,” KCCI-TV, 3/30/10)