Patty Judgemental?

Check out these comparisons by Lt. Governor Patty Judge of herself and Gov. Sarah Palin at the Harkin Steak Fry last night (as reported by Iowa Politics)

Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge spent the most time talking about Palin. She began by joking that she’s heard people try to draw parallels between the female governor and herself and said she wanted to highlight the distinctions in their public service record.

“I’ve been elected twice to the Iowa state Senate, I’ve been elected twice as the first woman in the state to serve as secretary of agriculture, and two years ago I was elected lieutenant governor to serve with my great friend Chet Culver,” Judge said. “So count ‘em up: Sarah, less than two years; Patty, 16 years.”

She went on to highlight the differences in their policy stances.

“Sarah and I are both girls. We both wear glasses. We both have families that we’re very proud of. But Sarah does not believe in a woman’s right to reproductive choice and I do. Sarah doesn’t believe in a woman’s right to equal pay for equal work and I do. Sarah doesn’t believe in a solid science-based education as the foundation of truth and learning and I do,” Judge said. “Sarah is taking a job that will put her within a heartbeat of the presidency of my country, and that scares me to death.”

Judge also poked fun at the details that have become widely noted and reported about the array of outdoor activities Palin enjoys in rural Alaska.

“Sarah knows how to field-dress a moose. I know how to castrate a calf. Neither of those things has anything at all to do with this election. But since we know so much about Sarah’s special skills, I wanted to make sure you knew about mine too,” she said.

Recent Iowa Legislators Endorsing Obama

Chet and Patty's Travelin' Roadshow

Governor Chet Culver and Lt. Governor Patty Judge will be bringing the state capital to your town (or a nearby town) this month. Dubbed the “Capitol for a Day” tour, Governor Culver will be traveling to Dubuque on Thursday, May 17 and then to Council Bluffs on Wednesday, May 30.

According to the Governor's press release. "The best briefings I receive are firsthand from the people of Iowa,” said Governor Culver. “If an Iowan has an innovative idea on how to keep young people in our state, I want to hear it. If an Iowan has some thoughts about improving education, I want to hear it. If an Iowan just wants to listen and say ‘hello’ they will certainly have that opportunity as we travel the state.

“One of the best aspects of my job is meeting Iowans from all walks of life. Now that the legislative session is over, I am excited to travel the state and get input on new initiatives for next year.”

I have no inkling to who may be traveling with the Culver/Judge team, but be on the look out for some extra wind power coming to your town soon.