The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Greetings From the Quad City

Posted on | December 28, 2011 | 9 Comments

DAVENPORT, Iowa — Woke up late today — too late for the complimentary breakfast here at the Radisson Quad City Plaza — and thought, “Hey, no need to hurry today.” Monday I flew into Cedar Rapids and had to go halfway across the state to a Rick Santorum event, then back to Iowa City. Then yesterday I had to go rent a car and drive to Davenport for a Mitt Romney event … and today?

Well, there’s a full schedule of campaign events, and I’m probably going to go see Rick Perry in Pella at 3:30 p.m. (CT) today, then catch Rick Santorum in Cedar Rapids at 6:30 p.m.. A calculation — based on the fact that I’m now driving a sweet black Ford Mustang — says I don’t have to leave here until about 1 p.m. So I’m typing this while the USA Network is showing Juneau (I’d never seen it before) and reading the copy of the Quad City Times I picked up (for 75 cents) at the coffee shop down the street. Here’s the first paragraph of the front-page story by Ed Tibbetts:

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, keying on a speech President Barack Obama made in Davenport four years  ago this week, said Tuesday the president abandoned his campaign promises to unite the country and “demonizes our fellow Americans,” and he cast the election as one to save the vision of the country.

Fifty-one words? Too long, Ed. That paragraph should have ended with “country.” When I pay 75 cents for a newspaper, I expect that first paragraph to grab me by the throat and compel me to read the whole damn thing. Maybe your editors are to blame. I know you can write better stuff than that clunky 51-word lead, Ed.

See? That’s the kind of cranky stuff I’d be doing if I had more time on my hands. It’s probably for the best thaat I always seem to be racing back and forth across the state like maniac. And that’s why I just took off all my clothes before getting in the shower, to do Raw Naked Blogging of today’s latest Iowa-centric headlines:

EMILY’s List ranks Gingrich as
‘worst’ GOP presidential candidate
— The Hill

Republican Rivals Unleash
Broadside on Paul in Iowa
— New York Times

For Romney, stealth campaign brings
real hopes of winning Iowa
— Washington Post

Poll: Newsletters Not Hurting Paul in Iowa
— Slate

Perry changes stance to oppose all abortions
— CNN

Pro-Gingrich Super PAC: Romney is
‘2nd most dangerous man in America’
— NBC

Paul holds slim lead over Romney
in first post-Christmas Iowa poll
— The Hill

So that’s the news, but the tip-jar hitters didn’t send me to Iowa just so I could sit in a hotel room aggregating headlines while naked.

I could do naked aggregation at home. And sometimes do.

You’d never read a sentence like that in the Quad City Times, even though they charge 75 cents a copy. You can read this for free, but you should hit the tip jar anyway. This hotel room is $89 a night and I missed the free breakfast, so I’ll probably have to pick up some Mickey D’s on the way to Pella, which will cost me $3. But before I do that, first I’ve got to take a shower. And maybe before I leave I’ll do some Wet Naked Updates. That could be worth a few extra bucks, eh?

UPDATE: Wow. Nothing like a long hot shower to make me feel better. But the shower was long enough that I’ve only got a few minutes to throw up a couple of quick (wet and naked) linkbacks to our blog buddies before I get dressed and head out on the road to Pella:

Rick Santorum just launched a new statewide radio ad. Maybe I’ll get a chance to hear it while I’m driving to Pella. Hit the freaking tip jar!





Category: Election 2012, Fear and Loathing in Iowa, Iowa, Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Shoe Leather Fund

Comments

9 Responses to “Greetings From the Quad City”

  1. EBL
    December 28th, 2011 @ 1:45 pm

    Keep up the good fight. 

  2. Finrod Felagund
    December 28th, 2011 @ 1:58 pm

    Given that Emily’s List exists to promote pro-choice Democratic women, I’d say that Gingrich is making all the right enemies.  Amusingly, who’s the least objectionable Republican to them?  Rick Perry.

  3. Datechguy's Blog » Blog Archive » I’ve been pretty quiet about Rick Santorum’s “surge” » Datechguy's Blog
    December 28th, 2011 @ 3:35 pm

    […] While preparing to do some first-rate shoe leather reporting in Iowa Stacy McCain totally misreads me: Pete seems to be worried that if he blogs too much about Santorum, he’ll be “unfair” to the […]

  4. Peter Ingemi
    December 28th, 2011 @ 3:37 pm

    Where are you getting this “fairness” stuff from?  Apparently wet and naked is bad for reading comprehension.

    Promise me you will not be wet and naked when I pick you up at logan next week

  5. Finrod Felagund
    December 28th, 2011 @ 3:42 pm

    I fully anticipate that the TSA regulations taken to their logical conclusion will eventually make everyone fly naked and oiled.

    For security reasons, of course.
     

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