Obama Returning To Iowa For Earth Day 2009

Barack Obama will mark Earth Day with a trip to Iowa next week in what will be interpreted in political circles as a victory lap in the state that launched his run to the White House.

Local press in Iowa is reporting that the president will visit the town of Newton on Wednesday, April 22 -- the first presidential visit to that town in more than half a century. The exact details of the visit, reports the Newton Daily News, have not been released.

Obama visited Newton in December 2007, just weeks before winning that state's caucus. He returned to Iowa at various points during the general election including the Friday before Election Day. Sentimentally and politically, the state defined his candidacy -- from the ability to persuade voters to overcome racial divisions to the turning of traditionally Republican locales blue.

Now, as president, Obama still seems willing to use the Hawkeye State as a political backdrop. Newton, a town of roughly 15,000, may seem like a peculiar place to celebrate Earth Day. But as State Senator Dennis Black told the Newton Daily News: "Iowa is No. 2 in the nation in wind energy production... My absolute goal in the legislature is to keep us in no less than that position. It will be difficult to overcome Texas, because they are quite a distance ahead of us. But, we overtook California, so perhaps even Texas someday!"

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Comments

[jsharpiowa]

Sorry, to all of you, who'd like Iowan supporters,to turn out for President Obama's "Return to Iowa". I just read an article that states, that the event, in Newton, IA, is limited to the press and by invitation only. Hey I tried. I even called the White House.

[tiotom77]

TO ALL ENVIRONMEN­TALISTS... A MUST READ
This week is the 42nd anniversary of "Silent Spring", a book by Rachel Carson. Who's Rachel Carson? She the's founder of the Environmental Movement in America!
I don't want to give the story away the story, but here's a taste. Rachel lived in the northeast and noticed one spring there were no song birds ( thus the title "Silent Spring). She found the use of pesticides in crops were killing birds. So, by herself, she took on the pesticide companies and the government to ban the use of poison, especially DDT, on our food. The poison companies got so scared that they actually tested DDT on humans. The tests failed.
So TIOTOM77 recommends "Silent Spring", FIVE STARS*****

[davidwayneosedach]

Ah he's going to do something here in the United States! How about the 3 million jobs he promised for 8 trillion dollars?

[hortonhearsawho2]

should be one available when and if you make parole....

[NickConrad]

Honestly, if you put a good hard working white republican in there, he'd have all that easy stuff straightened out in 90 days unlike SOME LAZY PRESIDENTS I KNOW.

[hather]

The Iowans can show the Texans what's it's like to be a real American.

[AZterritory]

Yeah, looks like the new Texan motto is "Since Bush didn't succeed we're going to secede."

[RicJustis]

Texas is part of the United states again. D@mn.....that secession thing didn't last very long

[shanester]

I'm sure the great people of Iowa will show those " tea baggers" what a "real" crowd looks like and most of them will be WHITE who are very proud having a BLACK PRESIDENT!!

But don't expect 24/7 coverage on FOX NOISE of this because God forbid they should show ANYBODY actually supporting Obama!!

[whiteoakindian]

And no station will have to waste time covering that pesky little commission on racism over at the UN since WE are NOT attending! Yes, WE are soooooooo good!

[weatherwaxx]

Read the reasons Barack Obama declined to attend. He doesn't want the US to endorse the goals as stated because they are spun to support a particular point of view. If they take the hidden agenda out of the goals, he is willing to reconsider. This one's tricky - it is NOT the Prez supporting racism.

[RicJustis]

Iowans will once again show the world that all white Americans are not racist(teabaggers.) when they show up to see Pres Obama.

D@mn Teabaggers...One step forward two steps back. Thanks for cleaning up the mess once again Iowa. The rest of the lower 47........­........46 states thank you.

[jsharpiowa]

Congratulations to President Obama for initiating every position he took during his campaign, now, in his first 100 days of Office of the President of the United States.

He made no promises, and he often saidm he was making no promises, during his two year campaign, ,,,,,from the moment he stepped into Iowa.

And yet....here he is fullfilling, the start of one, of the many, many, ideas and visions that got him elected, here in Iowa, at the Iowa Caucus, and in the nation.

In June of 2007, President Obama made one of his first appearances in Newton, IA and he talked about putting the displaced workers of Maytag back to work, in green energy jobs. Today there is a new wind turbine plant in Newton, IA.

Maytag, with an owner from Newton, Iowa, moved a good deal of their manufacturing out of Iowa, out of the United States, and over the border, a short way, into the country of Mexico, several years ago.

I have never seen a President, in my lifetime, do so much good, in so little time, with honesty, passion and, certainly, hard work, ... In the midst of an economic crisis to boot.

He deserves all our respect and admiration for just these few days that he has been our President.

[greatlardini]

Marked as favorite and fanned.

[whiteoakindian]

"...President Obama for initiating every position he took during his campaign, now, in his first 100 days of Office of the President of the United States."

You mean like voting for FISA and continuing to support the illegal wiretapping of private citizens?

[KarenT]

Thanks for sharing how the Recovery Act has been used in your community. I've read a few posts like that and we need more of that.

[jakie]

I HAVE BEEN FOR PRESIDENT OBAMA SINCE HE MADE THE SPEECH AT THE DEMOCRACTIV CONVENTION IN 2004

[Dunderslapoldmen]

OBAMA'S 1ST 85 DAYS...Banned certain interrogation techniques­...closing Git*o with no clue where ter3orists will be sent....passed huge stimulus bill...nationalized the banks, insurance cos, and auto makers...massive increase in national debt...hired tax ch*ats....G20 meeting a bust...N Korea fired a missile and he didn't care....bowed down to a KIng....will talk to Iran, just for fun....opening up Cuba, with nothing in return....now buddy buddy with Chavez, a Marxist, and gets nothing in return...released
top secret papers from last admin....

Obama simply does not care for this great country.

[LiberalBuzz]

Nice try Trog.

Gitmo closed because it is a national embarrassment and a sigh to the rest of the world that we have no regard for human rights. As for the "terrorists" there. Strange how only one or two have been charged while the rest were probably just farmers caught with a gun that some rival tribe called terrorists to get rid of them.

Stimulus bill is starting to work. YOUR side would have loved to seen the country and the world plunged into a depression that would have destroyed America.

The debt is hardly his problem. IF it hadn't of been for your "R" boys running this country into the ground out of sheer greed we would not have to borrow to fix their total muckup.

Tax cheats? Then why didn't the IRS prosecute them? Oh yeah, just mistakes in filing that were PAID for. BFD.

G20 hardly a bust. got people to talk and got NATO to send more troops. He also gave a better impression to the world of America vs that stumble bum we had last time.

Yeah yeah, keep telling yourself he bowed to a king. Blah blah.

[Bitsko]

Well, isn't that special?

[lonecrone]

What? Nationalized banks and insurance companies and auto companies? Prove it. Nobody has done any such thing. All that is being done is forcing these businesses to stop cheating people. Or do you like being cheated?

As for the rest of your ravings, you seem to have a vivid imagination.

[LiberalBuzz]

Well...Nice try Trog.

Gitmo closed because it is a national embarrassment and a sigh to the rest of the world that we have no regard for human rights. As for the "terrorists" there. Strange how only one or two have been charged while the rest were probably just farmers caught with a gun that some rival tribe called terrorists to get rid of them.

Stimulus bill is starting to work. YOUR side would have loved to seen the country and the world plunged into a depression that would have destroyed America.

The debt is hardly his problem. IF it hadn't of been for your "R" boys running this country into the ground out of sheer greed we would not have to borrow to fix their total muckup.

Tax cheats? Then why didn't the IRS prosecute them? Oh yeah, just mistakes in filing that were PAID for. BFD.

G20 hardly a bust. got people to talk and got NATO to send more troops. He also gave a better impression to the world of America vs that stumble bum we had last time.

Yeah yeah, keep telling yourself he bowed to a king. Blah blah.

[AtheistUS]

If it help you, repeating many times all this rubbish - by all means.

[filo]

For anyone who missed it, click the link below.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2004/barackobama2004dnc.htm

[ywcachieve]

Yep, that speech was when everybody started paying attention to Barack Obama. Including me.

[19iowa62]

Probably the greatest speech I've ever heard. For those of you that would like to hear it go to:

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2004/barackobama2004dnc.htm

[dspencer3491]

Ahhh. So many great campaign memories in Iowa

[JnrNorman]

Great he stand with Tom Monsanto Vilsack and announce a new GMO corn that requires less fertilizer.

[taiwanjohn]

Well, I don't know if Gov. Vilsack is any more or less "Monsanto" than most other midwestern governors, but he's not the "gov" anymore anyway... it's Chet Culver.

I'd like to think that Obama is ready to take on the Ag lobby, but I'm afraid he'll try to offer a "nice, sensible" compromise, as he did on his original stimulus bill. Then again, maybe he learned from that experience, and will be more assertive this time. In any case, I hope he will use this heartland venue to address the issues we face, and offer some new ideas.

As the article mentions, there is great potential in Iowa for wind energy. But there are other opportunities as well, such as reforming the failed Carter-era Ag policies that still bedevil us today...

--jrd

[Blanca DeBree]

But if Obama goes to Iowa, won't he be forced to get a gay marriage?

[Estevan Benson]

Yes. I believe I read that somewhere.

[filo]

It just drives you nuts that 60% to 70% of the American people support Obama doesn't it ?

[whiteoakindian]

No, he opposes gay marriage.

[Schvenzlerman]

The real purpose of this trip is to unveil his long form birth certificate, his passports, his student enrollment and financial aid forms, his selective service enrollment application and other vital records. He's going to put the issue of his qualification for President to rest once and for all. You read it here.

[All57States]

Who can he apoligize to in Iowa?

[Estevan Benson]

Yeah, "Sorry for a stimulus package that has the potential to save the economy and your job." Is that the apology you want? Maybe this one, "Sorry I kicked your candidates. I'll be more gentle next time."

[ErikW65]

I guess he could apologize to all the Gays for not supporting gay marriage, or all the advocates of using cannabis to grow the economy (an idea he laughed off despite it's position on top of an online poll.)

[bilmardre]

One day maybe your brain will develop to the point where you can tell the difference between apologizing and speaking truths.
At that time you can offer your own apology.

[AtheistUS]

We may apologize to you and all others who could not get at least a minimal good education.

[AbyssinianLion]

Iowa made believe the imossible was possible last year. Thank you Iowa!

[taiwanjohn]

You're welcome! ;-)

--jrd (corn-fed Iowa boy, born and bred...)

[ENOUGH1]

My two daughters and husband voted for McCain but I voted for President Obama. I have been watching him since Feb. 08 and I am so proud of him. I am a christian but I felt President Obama was a smart, honest and caring man and he would do right by America. I think if we all met halfway, we could see great things for America's future.

President Obama is going halfway with all of the leaders who President Bush has refused to talk to. Some people may think this is weak but I tend to think it takes a strong man to reach out to other world leaders.

Thanks President Obama for all of the work you have been doing to get America back on the right track.

[greatlardini]

I would think that the people who have been trying to take the President down for the last two years would have realized by now that this is not a weak man. He is intelligent, tough, and dignified-­-character­istics which were noticably absent in the last president. We elected the right man last November, make no mistake about it.

[whiteoakindian]

Rah! Rah! Rah! (I KNOW your pom poms are working overtime!)

[greatlardini]

Well, let's hear your ideas on how to make things better for our country. Unlike the righties, we lefties are always ready to listen. We may not agree with you, but we'll listen.

[myworld]

Iowa is the new progressive frontier ,great role model for the future .As an African American ,i never thought i would say this:want to move to Iowa ~~~~~~~~~

[TishiJo]

And we have one of the lowest rates of unemployment in the country!

[xandix]

I grew up in Iowa and lived in L.A. for ten years. Iowa has progessed a lot in a decade but still retains its core values. Has great public education, low crime rates...I say give it a try!