Accusations Fly Within the Iowa Democratic Party

Recently in the news two Democrat Gubernatorial candidates have made accusations against their fellow Democrat competitors in response to the release of the campaign finance reports. Democrat candidate Michael Blouin has accused Chet Culver of accepting campaign contributions in the sum of $40,000 from supporters who in the past have paid large fines for unethical business practices such as insider trading, as reported by the Associated Press on January 26, 2006. Also, Democrat Ed Fallon has accused Patty Judge of accepting campaign contributions last year in the sum of $45,000 from contributors from the corporate livestock farming industry. Judge managed to raise $130,000, this being paltry compaired to the record breaking $2.5 milllion raised by Republican Jim Nussle. These big business farming operations are responsible for polluting the air, local water tables, and rivers with their waste by-products of methane gas and manure. Judge has defended herself according to O. Kay Henderson of RadioIowa, stating that "I am proud of the support I have received from Iowa's pork industry over the years. They are citizens of Iowa and have every right to contribute to candidates and be a part of the political process."

Judge along with Blouin are closely behind trailing the poll leaders of Culver and Nussle in a Rasmussen Report poll from November, 2005. Even though Judge has little campaign funds, she does have the advantage of name recognition with the voters. Which is more than some of her fellow Democrat opponents can say.