Sneak Peek: Dems Battle in Waterloo
August 14, 2007— -- Wednesday. Waterloo. Another Democratic labor forum.
But don't you get your hopes up for another Soldier Field throwdown.
Or this: LINK)
One week after they exchanged sharp words over terrorism and the role of lobbyists at the AFL-CIO's candidate forum in Chicago, the Democratic '08ers are at it again hoping to score points with Big Labor.
At the 51st annual Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO state convention, the candidates will not be on stage at the same time but will face the same questions.
Starting at 3:00 pm ET, six presidential candidates (Chris Dodd, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, in that order) will each spend 30 minutes before the questioning squad of AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka, CWA International President Larry Cohen, and Executive Vice-President, Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO Jan Laue.
Trumka will ask questions related to jobs, the economy and trade; Cohen will focus on the Employee Free Choice Act, and Laue will address health care.
The questions will be the same for all six candidates, but the length or brevity of the responses will determine how many questions they get. Organizers are hoping for about eight per candidate.
(Who wants to set the over/under on how many questions each candidate answers? Biden – only 3?)
But that's not all the Democrats are up to on Wednesday. . .
Clinton meets with local residents at the Waukee Community Center at 10:30 am ET before making her way to the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines.
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino played right into the Clinton playbook today when she said that the campaign's new Iowa ad ("Invisible") was "outrageous" and it was "unconscionable" for a member of Congress to say American troops are invisible to the President.
This right after she professed a desire to NOT get involved in the back-and-forth of the 2008 race, ABC News' Jon Garcia reports.
The Clinton campaign quickly made sure the White House reaction was in the inboxes of political reporters and prominently displayed on HillaryHub.com
Obama discusses transparency in government in Cedar Falls at 3:45 pm ET. While Obama des his Iowa thing, Warren Buffett and Ex-LG Kim Robak raise campaign coin on his behalf in Omaha.
John and Elizabeth Edwards take their "Fighting for One America" bus tour to Manly, Osage, Charles City, and Waverly.
Biden attends the Iowa State Fair and makes his stand on a Des Moines Register sponsored Soapbox at 11:30 am ET. His evening wraps up with 8:30 pm ET remarks at the Bremer County Democrats summer fundraiser in Waverly.
Richardson takes his "Presidential Job Interview " to Iowa Falls at noon ET, Grundy Centre at 2:00 pm ET and Oelwein at 7:45 pm ET.
Dodd's other stops in Iowa include visits to Webster City, Waterloo and Tama.
As for the Grand Old Party presidential candidates. . .
Mitt Romney makes himself available to the press in three states, starting with 8:40 am ET remarks at the Ottawa County and Allegan County Ronald Reagan Tribute in Holland, MI, a 12:15 pm ET meet and greet at The Varsity in Atlanta, GA and a 3:30 pm ET "Ask Mitt Anything" event at the Winter Park Community Forum in Winter park, FL.
Rudy Giuliani campaigns across Iowa.
John McCain is in Colorado to raise cash and deliver a policy speech to the Aspen Institute.
Sam Brownback is in South Carolina for a fundraising breakfast in West Columbia before meeting residents at Sticky Fingers Rib House in Mount Pleasant and the Sun City Community Center in Bluffton.
Elsewhere…
Nancy Pelosi joins Reps. Ed Pastor D-Ariz., and Harry Mitchell D-Ariz., on a tour of the Phoenix VA Medical Center.
President Bush remains on the ranch in Crawford, TX.
POLITICAL STORIES ON ABCNEWS.COM:
ABC News' Jake Tapper and Jan Simmonds "Giuliani Takes On Illegal Immigration"LINK
ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf "Top Army General Calls Army 'Out of Balance'" LINK
POLITICAL VIDEO ON ABCNEWS.COM:
The Divider How will Karl Rove's departure affect the presidential election? LINK
Covering Sen. Barack ObamaDavid Mendell discusses his new book, "Obama: From Promise to Power." LINK
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