National Races: A County To County Comparison

Johnson and Linn Counties are the two largest counties in the 2nd Congressional District, so it can be said as they go, so goes the district. In the general election, 113,721 Linn County voters (a 77.74% turnout) and 73,231 Johnson County voters (79.41% turnout)made it to the polls. As the suburban parts of Johnson County continue to grow at a faster rate than Iowa City, it can be expected that the electorate will trend toward Linn County's numbers as that part of the county has seen a growth in more conservative voters.

Below are comparisons by electoral race between Johnson and Linn Counties:

Johnson County Presidential
Obama/Biden (D) - 51,027 (70%)
McCain/Palin (R) - 20,732 (28%)
Nader/Gonzalez (PFP)- 326 (0%)
Barr/Root (L) - 287 (0%)
Baldwin/Castle (Const)- 128 (0%)
McKinney/Clemente (G) - 120 (0%)
Moore/Alexander (Soc) - 10 (0%)
Harris/Kennedy (SW) - 9 (0%)
LaRiva/Moses (PSL) - 4 (0%)
Write In - 346 (0%)

Linn County Presidential
Obama/Biden Dem - 68037 (60%)
McCain/Palin Rep - 43626 (38%)
Baldwin/Castle CON - 190 (0%)
Mckinney/Clemente GRN -105 (0%)
Barr/Root Lib - 379 (0%)
La Riva/Moses PSL - 6 (0%)
Nader/Gonzalez PAF - 496 (0%)
Moore/Alexander SPU - 8 (0%)
Harris/Kennedy SWP - 7 (0%)
Write-in Votes - 515 (0%)

Johnson County Senatorial
US Senate
Tom Harkin (D)- 52,741 (75%)
Christopher Reed (R) - 17,537 (25%)
Write In - 135 (0%)

Linn County Senatorial
Tom Harkin Dem - 74373 (67%)
Christopher Reed - Rep 36662 (33%)
Write-in Votes - 141 (0%)

Johnson County Congressional
US Rep (2nd Dist)
Dave Loebsack (D) - 45,247 (65%)
Mariannette Miller-Meeks -(R) 20,680 (30%)
Wendy Barth (G) - 2,109 (3%)
Brian White (NP) - 1,476 (2%)
Write In - 74 (0%)

Linn County Congressional
Dave Loebsack Dem - 64212 (59%)
M. Miller-Meeks Rep - 41784 (38%)
Wendy Barth GRN - 2090 (2%)
Brian White NBP - 1311 (1%)
Write-in Votes - 95 (0%)

One outcome that was true in both of the counties, it was a bad year to be a Socialist.

Adding Insult to Injury to Injustice?

Linda R. Reade, a federal judge in Cedar Rapids reduced a jury award for two women who were illegally strip searched after being arrested at a George Bush rally in 2004. According to Reade, the awards in the sums of $250,000 and $400,000 to the protesters--former teachers Alice McCabe and Christine Nelson--originally made in June, were "excessive." The judge ruled that the awards would be reduced to $25,000 and $50,000 respectively. McCabe and Nelson have five business days from the ruling date to appeal.

The women were arrested during a George W. Bush campaign rally in Noelridge Park. The pair brought a suit against Bruce Macauley, a Secret Service agent, and Michelle Mais, a former Linn County jailer. There was a directed guilty verdict against Mais for the illegal strip-search, but the jury found in favor of Macauley who arrested them for not moving from a secured area when he requested.

The women sued the defendants for violating their freedom of speech and assembly and equal protection rights. The eight-member jury deliberated almost four hours in the U.S. District Court of Northern Iowa civil case of protesters.