IOWA INSIDER

A poll released Monday by the University of Iowa shows Republican Mitt Romney growing his sizable lead among the Republican presidential field and a close competition between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on the Democratic side.

The poll shows Romney with support of 36.2 percent of likely GOP caucus-goers, followed by Rudy Giuliani at a distant second place with 13.1 percent. Mike Huckabee is in third place at 12.8 percent, a jump from August when he registered under 2 percent.

Fred Thompson takes fourth place with 11.4 percent, followed by John McCain at 6 percent.

Romney spokesman Tim Albrecht attributed the high poll numbers to Romney’s visits to the state, saying his message is resonating. But the campaign expects the race to tighten before the caucuses.

“We’re not going to take anything for granted, and we’re still going to run just as hard as we always have been” running, Albrecht said.
The polls show a much closer race among the Democrats.

Clinton enjoyed support among 28.9 percent of the likely Democratic caucus-goers polled, followed by Barack Obama, close behind at 26.6 percent.

John Edwards fell to 20 percent, down six points from August, to take third place. Democrat Bill Richardson came in at 7.2 percent, with Joe Biden following at 5.3 percent.

After months of uncertainty on a date for the Iowa caucuses, it appears Republicans and Democrats will hold their presidential caucuses on the same date and remain the first in the nation.

Iowa Democrats announced over the weekend they would move their caucuses from Jan. 14, to Jan. 3, the same day as Republicans.

The schedule for the Iowa caucuses has been in flux as other states try to maneuver their way closer to the front of the presidential primary calendar.

But Iowa political leaders have been just as adamant about maintaining Iowa’s leadoff status.

Having the caucuses on the same night helps maintain a decades-long tradition of the parties working together to host the caucuses.

Democrats also had considered holding their caucuses on Jan. 5, a Saturday. But some had worried that holding it on a weekend would keep voters with busy schedules from showing up.

Others had questioned whether holding the caucuses on separate dates would lessen the impact and media attention that come with hosting the first contest in the presidential nominating calendar.

Some uncertainty in the scheduling process still remains. New Hampshire, which traditionally holds its primary after the Iowa caucuses, has not yet formally chosen a new primary date, although most observers expect the state to choose Jan. 8.

If that happens, the one-two punch of the Iowa caucuses followed by the New Hampshire primary would continue this cycle, without moving the caucuses into December.

And we can all be thankful we won’t be mixing politics with the holidays.

The closing of the Maytag appliance factory in Newton this week brought promises from the Democratic presidential candidates to help save American jobs and protect workers.

Hillary Clinton used the occasion to call for stronger enforcement of international trade agreements with higher environmental and labor standards.

“Our workers are the most productive in the world, and they can compete against anyone when the playing field is level,” Clinton said. “But it has not been level because the Bush administration hardly bothers to enforce our trade agreements. If you’ve lost a job because of unfair competition, you’re invisible to this president.”

Barack Obama attributed the loss of jobs to the country’s tax policies.

“It is a sad day when a factory that persevered through the Great Depression couldn’t survive a misguided tax policy that rewards companies that ship job overseas,” Obama said. “As president, I’ll change our tax code to reward companies that create jobs here in the United States, not corporations looking to boost their profits by outsourcing good jobs to foreign countries.”

Former Maytag worker Doug Bishop, who was laid off from the company in 2004, spoke out at an event for John Edwards Friday, saying the trade agreements are robbing Americans of their livelihoods.

“Well, we can’t work for free. That’s the only way you’re going to beat these folks,” he said.

Bill Richardson said he would push for universal health care and would work to make pensions portable from one job to the next.

“As the Maytag plant closes its doors and the last of the loyal employees lose their jobs, pensions and health insurance, we see first-hand why health insurance and retirement security cannot be directly tied to jobs,” Richardson said. “When a company is bought out or goes bankrupt, American families must not suffer.”