Tom Fiegen announces challenge to Chuck Grassley!!!!

[rurallib]

http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2009/08/14/fiegen-opens-us-senate-campaign/

Former state representative Tom Fiegen, a bankruptcy lawyer from Clarence, says his economic background and ability to raise money will make him the Democrats’ best choice to run against Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley next fall.
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"First of all, I think a lot of the 2010 election is going to be about economics. And given my background as an economist and a bankruptcy lawyer, I think I can converse with Iowans and with people on the national level better than the other Democratic contestants,” he said in a phone interview.
<snip>
Fiegen advocates for a public insurance option and he agrees with a plan to pay for it with a surtax on wealthy taxpayers. He calls for reforms to weed out fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. He’d also like to see a public plan charge premiums based on a person’s income, but he’s not sure how much that would raise.

Fiegen says he would center his campaign on economic issues, however. He says he would push Congress to refocus on job creation, including another major public-works program to upgrade infrastructure like roads and bridges. He says he wants a new look at trade policy, particularly against Chinese currency manipulation and dangerous products that country exports.
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Tom was my state senator a few years back. A democrat in a very Republican district. He is about as good of a democrat as you will meet. I will be working my ass off for his election.

BTW- his website: http://www.fiegenforussenate.com/

[BlooInBloo]

1. I assume he's weak on healthcare, else the story would have said something about it...

But you gotta start somewhere. Good luck!

[rurallib]

2. He is for a strong public plan

Fiegen advocates for a public insurance option and he agrees with a plan to pay for it with a surtax on wealthy taxpayers. He calls for reforms to weed out fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. He’d also like to see a public plan charge premiums based on a person’s income, but he’s not sure how much that would raise.
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Here is a link to his announcement speech. Health care is his 2nd bullet point. I tried to copy it here but I do not know how to manipulate a PDF file.
http://www.fiegenforussenate.com/announcement.pdf

[BlooInBloo]

3. Oh - even better! Thanks! (and the pdf is just a picture-in-a-pdf - can't copy the text....

I hate those.)

[rurallib]

4. Tom is as true blue as they come. Hope you get a chance to meet him.