Published: October 14, 2006 12:36 am      

No Kennedy, but lots of campaigning

CLINTON — Clinton County Democrats were there. Iowa gubernatorial candidate Chet Culver was there. U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa was there. But U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass, was not.

Kennedy was scheduled to accompany Culver and Harkin on a blitz through Davenport, Clinton and Dubuque to boost Culver’s gubernatorial campaign against U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle, R-Iowa.

Harkin expressed Kennedy’s regrets for not being able to attend.

“Sen. Kennedy is the ranking member of our education and health committee in the Senate and I serve on that committee with him,” Harkin said. “He was obviously going to be here today… there is a close governor’s race in Massachusetts this year and some things had come up in that race and he needed to be there this weekend.”

The rally took place Friday at the Durgin Center on the campus of Ashford University. Harkin, who serves as the ranking Democrat of the Senate education funding subcommittee, said education is not an expenditure.

“Education is an investment,” he said. “Education is a lifelong process.”

Locally, Harkin was responsible for a $1 million construction grant that helped build the new Jefferson Elementary School.

Harkin said Iowa’s new governor should be someone who cares about Iowa. “I can tell you, I have known Chet Culver since he was a small boy… yes he once was a small boy,” he said with a laugh.

“I can tell you without any doubt that Chet Culver has the character, the caliber and the vision to be our next great governor…

“He is a fifth-generation Iowan and again, speaking here at Ashford University … nothing is an important as public education. We have always taken pride in the here in Iowa. Chet’s been there — as a high school teacher and coach, he knows the importance of quality teachers and investing in our schools.”

Culver said he wants to lead the state he lives in. His family has been in Iowa since 1861.

“This is the best place in the country to live,” he said. “I am proud of my experience and roots.”

He thanked Scott Turner, senior vice president of marketing for Bridgepoint Education, which owns Ashford, and the school for hosting the event.

“I was happy to be a part of Ashford getting started here,” Culver said. “As secretary of state we work with all institutions of higher learning… that’s how I got to know the team here.”

Having been in the classroom, Culver says he understands the immediate needs teachers and parents face every day.

If elected governor, Culver wants every child in the state to have the chance to go to a state-accredited early childhood education program.

“We want them to reach their God-given potential,” he explained. “We want them to achieve their hopes and their dreams. We are going to implement programs in every district in this state.”

Culver plans to expand on the progress current Gov. Tom Vilsack has made by making college more affordable. He plans to implement the Senior Plus Program, which will allow every high school senior the chance to earn a year of college credit before they graduate form high school.

“We’re going to let these young people transfer these credits to Ashford. To transfer them to a community college. To transfer them to the University of Iowa. Their choice. It doesn’t cost that much. It is a great investment in our future.”

Culver made two more promises. The first was to raise the minimum wage, which he said would benefit 257,000 people, and said in the first 100 days following his election he will lift the ban on stem cell research and start a regenerative medicine center at the University of Iowa.

“We’re getting Iowa back into the game of saving lives,” he said. “We’ve lost all of our researchers there because of the ban in Iowa.”

According to Culver, if elected he will “provide hope and opportunity to kids, to workers; to those struggling and suffering.

“And guess what?” he concluded. “It’s in your hands.”