DES MOINES - Democrats in the Iowa Legislature lambasted a comment made by U.S. Rep. Steve King that radical Islamists would dance in the streets if Democrat Barack Obama were elected president.

Rep. Deborah Berry, D-Waterloo, called the comment "demeaning" and said it could incite fear and hate.

"As an Iowan, I'm quite offended by that and quite appalled by the thought that one of our very own congressmen would even make such a comment about a person who's running for any seat, for that matter," Berry said. Her Democratic colleagues in the Iowa House stood up and applauded after she finished speaking.

Sen. Bob Dvorsky, D-Coralville, said people outside Iowa shouldn't get the wrong idea about the state from King's recent comment.

Dvorsky, who has endorsed Obama, said on the Senate floor that King doesn't speak for all Iowans.

"I think it is entirely ironic that Congressman King's divisive, fear-mongering remarks were directed at Sen. Obama, whose message is one of civility, tolerance, hope and change," Dvorsky said.

King, a Kiron Republican, has said he stands by his comment about Obama. He told Radio Iowa on Monday that Obama's pledge to withdraw from Iraq is a "declaration of defeat" that will be applauded by terrorists.

METH TRACKERS - The Iowa House moved forward Monday with an electronic tracking system to monitor the sale of drugs containing pseudoephedrine, the key ingredient in many cold medicines that also can be used to make the illegal drug methamphetamine.

Lawmakers in recent years restricted sales on pseudoephedrine, putting the drug behind the counter and imposing sales limits.

A bill passed by the House Monday would require the Iowa Board of Pharmacy to establish a real-time monitoring system to control pseudoephedrine sales. Legislators would still need to find a funding source.

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

VETERANS' LOTTERY HELP - A plan to sell lottery tickets to fund veterans' programs is heading to Gov. Chet Culver after it passed the Iowa Senate Monday.

The proposal, approved 42-7, would raise an estimated $2 million to $3 million per year for the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund.

Opponents of the bill, all Republicans, argued that the lottery tickets are an insultingly inadequate way to support veterans.

Sen. Jeff Angelo, R-Creston, made light of his concerns by offering an amendment that would have expanded the bill to use lottery tickets for K-12 schools and highway funding. He said that if the lottery is an acceptable way to pay for high priorities like veterans' benefits, then it should be appropriate for other priorities.