Campaign Finance

Bailout passes Senate, House foes soften (10/02/08)
WASHINGTON -- After one spectacular failure, the $700 billion financial industry bailout found a second life Wednesday, winning lopsided passage in the Senate and gaining ground in the House, where Republicans opposition softened. Senators loaded the economic rescue bill with tax breaks and other sweeteners before passing it by a wide margin, 74-25, a month before the presidential and congressional elections...

Obama, McCain argue over taxes, federal spending (09/27/08)
OXFORD, Miss. -- Barack Obama accused presidential rival John McCain of supporting Bush administration policies that produced the current economic crisis Friday night in their first debate of the campaign for the White House. Both men readily agreed Congress must act soon to prevent millions of Americans from losing their jobs and homes...

Harkin calls for close look at bailout plan (09/27/08)
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin on Thursday cautioned Congress against being "stampeded" into a massive bailout of the nation's financial system. His concerns came as an Iowa legislative leader said he was worried that a severe economic downturn could hurt a state budget already under pressure...

Bailout deal stalls as GOP lawmakers revolt (09/26/08)
WASHINGTON -- A Repub-lican revolt stalled urgent efforts to lash together a national economic rescue plan Thursday, a chaotic turnaround on a day that had seemed headed for a success that President Bush, both political parties and their presidential candidates could celebrate at an extraordinary White House meeting...

Democrats rally local troops on eve of national convention (08/26/08)
Clay County Democrats gathered at the Oneota Park shelter house Sunday evening for their annual fundraising steak fry. The meeting, coming just a day after Barack Obama named Sen. Joe Biden as his vice presidential running mate via a much hyped text message to supporters, had County chairman Bob Whittenburg's stressing organization to his fellow Democrats...

Harkin 'dismayed' by McCain's Paris Hilton ad (08/08/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff Large infrastructure projects and energy cost concerns were part of the discussion as U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin held a "Moving Iowa Forward" café stop Thursday morning at the Family Table Restaurant in Spencer. Along with local concerns, he also talked about national politics as the national nominating conventions approach for the major parties...

Will rural public safety be pinched by FCC action? (08/07/08)
By Kris Todd Daily Reporter Staff Law enforcement officials, like many individuals today, depend on cell phones to keep in contact with others. But if this form of communication is not supported adequately by cell phone towers and other related-infrastructure, which occurs in some rural areas yet today, individuals may find themselves placed at a disadvantage...

Rare Boeing 40C crashed in Oregon in 1928 (07/26/08)
By Jim Camden Spokesman-Review staff writer When the big Boeing biplane lifts off from Felts Field this afternoon, its open cockpit and wood-paneled passenger cabin will carry the history of American aviation back into the skies. It will fly again after nearly 70 years on a mountainside, a few years in a horse trailer, and nine years in a hangar at Felts, where some 61 volunteers spent about 18,000 hours meticulously restoring it to life...

Foreclosure looming? Hotline advice may help (07/09/08)
Foreclosures are up in Iowa. Contributing factors range from "subprime" mortgages slipping into default to wages not keeping pace with rising costs. While Iowa had the ninth-highest rate of home foreclosures in the nation during the first quarter of 2007 and has consistently ranked in the top five states in its number of subprime mortgages in default, officials claim thousands are currently struggling to pay their mortgages around the Hawkeye state...

Northwest riders raise dollars for Relay (06/20/08)
A group of riders began the day at Estherville, leaving the Northwest Bank branch at 6 a.m. and continuing to Spirit Lake, Spencer and eventually Fort Dodge where the 150-mile fundraising bike ride ended. Greg Post, executive vice president, and Dean Jacobsen, Spencer market president led the charge through all 150 miles of Thursday's ride and were joined along the way by other members of the bank staff...

Iowa Lakes soccer coming to Spencer (06/07/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff "When" is only half the story for local soccer fans: Starting in the fall of 2009, Iowa Lakes Community College will field mens and womens soccer programs. "Where" is a first for the college. The Lakers will play their games at the Spencer Soccer Plex, which is along 10th Avenue East near the site of the current Spencer Middle School...

Supervisors race features six candidates (05/31/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff Republicans have a choice on the ballot as the party tries to find two nominees for a pair of available seats on the Clay County Board of Supervisors. Incumbent Del Brockshus of Spencer is near the end of his fourth term. He has filed to run again...

Council to review budget at city meeting (05/17/08)
By Russ Mitchell Daily Reporter Staff Land transactions, a $1 million loan and a budget amendment are on the agenda when the Spencer City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. Monday in council chambers. State law requires that cities hold a public hearing to take action on amending the budget and City Manager Bob Fagen has asked for a change Monday night...

Republicans unhappy with collective bargaining attempt (04/01/08)
-Minority party raises flags over Democratic party effort to overhaul 34-year old legislation- Without Democrats Sen. Jack Kibbie and Rep. Marcie Frevert present due to other commitments in their district, Republicans Sen. David Johnson and Reps. Mike May and Royd Chambers used the final Eggs & Issues session Saturday to decry the efforts of the majority party to change the state's collective bargaining laws...