DES MOINES - Democrat Barack Obama will head to Iowa this week to host a forum at an Adel farm where he can gather ideas on how to strengthen and revitalize rural America.

He said he has learned by talking to rural residents how their communities have been uniquely affected by an "overstretched military" and rising health care and energy costs.

"I believed then and still do today that the key to creating smart policy is listening to Americans and not to the special interests," Obama said in a statement. "This forum will give me the opportunity to get smart, common sense, pragmatic people together to create a plan for how we can strengthen our rural communities."

The forum is set for 3:45 p.m. Friday at the Van Fossen farm, 1210 Van Fossen Lane, in Adel.

Obama's campaign also scheduled a block party at 6 p.m. Friday at the Cedar Bridge County Park in Winterset.

Obama will hold another event beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday morning in Des Moines' Union Park, 1875 Pennsylvania Ave.

DEMOCRATIC DEBATE SET - The Democratic presidential candidates who participated in Monday night's groundbreaking YouTube debate on CNN will meet for their next debate in Iowa.

The event is slated for Aug. 19 on the Drake University campus in Des Moines.

It will be shown at 8 a.m. on ABC in a special edition of "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos.

The debate is co-sponsored by ABC News and the Iowa Democratic Party.

"We are looking forward to welcoming all of the candidates to Iowa," said IDP chairman Scott Brennan. "Though the candidates have been visiting Iowa continuously since the beginning of the year, this debate is an opportunity to show the nation that Iowans take their role as first-in-the-nation caucus-goers very seriously."

CLINTON PICKS UP DUBUQUE SUPPORT - Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign got an endorsement Tuesday from a longtime state senator, Mike Connolly of Dubuque.

"I am proud to endorse your candidacy for the presidency, and I pledge to work really hard and help coordinate things in Dubuque County," he said in a conference call.

Clinton replied that the endorsement "means a great deal to me personally."

Connolly, a former teacher, is chairman of the Senate State Government Committee and an assistant majority leader.

Contact Charlotte Eby at (515) 243-0138 or chareby@aol.com.