Rep. Mike McIntyre on January 17, 2004.
 

Gov. Mike Easley on January 15, 2004.
 

Des Moines Register, Iowa's largest newspaper, endorses Sen. Edwards on January 11, 2004.
 

2003
Elizabeth Edwards made at least six solo visits to Iowa in 2003.
-Elizabeth Edwards visited Iowa on December 13-14, 2003.  On December 13 she visited the Creative Visions Community Center in Des Moines to begin dropping off books that were collected in the campaign's book drive; attended a house party of undecided caucusgoers and supporters in Des Moines; and attended the Black Hawk County Democratic Party's chili supper in Waterloo.  On December 14 she attended services at Payne Memorial AME Church in Waterloo.
 

-Elizabeth Edwards visited Iowa on October 20-21, 2003.  On October 20 she kick off the campaign's BOOK drive for Iowa children at Downtown Des Moines School (500 Grand); met with the Simpson College Students for Edwards group at Holy Grounds Coffee Shop in Indianola; toured the child care facility at the Knoxville Veterans' Hospital; met with Johnson County Democrats at the home of County Supervisor Pat Harney in Iowa City.  On October 21 she met with Hawkeyes for Edwards (University of Iowa) group at Hamburg Inn in Iowa City.
 

-Elizabeth Edwards visited Iowa on October 10-11, 2003.  Starting early on the afternoon of October 10 she spoke at the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children's annual statewide conference at the Des Moines Convention Center; attended an open house at the Edwards for President office in Ames; met with local Democratic activists at Dutch Oven Bakery in Boone; and attended a house party with local Democratic activists at the home of Shirlee Trent in Fort Dodge.  On October 11 she had coffee with local Democratic activists at Inspired by Coffee in Carroll; attended a house party with local Democratic activists at the home of Diane and Steve Hamilton in Storm Lake; participated in an education roundtable at Pierce Street Coffee Works in Sioux City.
 

-The Edwards campaign started running TV ads in Iowa on August 6, 2003.
 

-Elizabeth Edwards visited Iowa on June 28-29, 2003.  On June 28 she had lunch with Democratic activists at the home of former Iowa Governor Bob Fulton in Waterloo; had coffee with Bremer County Democrats at the home of Dale and Sandy Johnson in Waverly; met with Democratic activists at the home of Peg Sherret in Oelwein; and attended a barbeque with Buchanan County Democrats at 5th Ward Park in Independence.  On June 29 she brunched with Johnson County Democrats at the Larew Law Office in Iowa City; and lunched with Democratic activists at the home of Melissa Adams in Cedar Rapids.
 

-The campaign moved into its Iowa headquarters at 1109 Grand Ave, Des Moines on May 31-June 1, 2003.
 

-Elizabeth Edwards addressed the Polk County "Take Back the White House" dinner at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa on May 10, 2003.
 

-Sen. Edwards' parents, Wallace and Bobbi Edwards, attended the Iowa State Association of Letter Carriers Annual Convention at Radisson Quad City Plaza Hotel in Davenport, Iowa on May 5, 2003.
 

-The campaign had its initial Iowa headquarters in the Griffin Building at 319 7th Street, 4th Floor, Des Moines starting on March 1, 2003.
 

-Elizabeth Edwards visited eastern Iowa on February 29, 2003.  She attended a house party at the home of John and Teri Goodmann in Dubuque; addressed the Dubuque County Off-Year Caucus at the Dubuque Area Life Time Center; and attended a house party at the home of Helen Hart in Davenport.
 
 
 

2001-2002 Iowa Activity by New American Optimists
Contributions by New American Optimists

Period Covered	IA Contribs.	Total Contribs. ($) to Candidates and Committees (#) in the Period
Year End 2001 - July 10-Dec. 31, 2001		$11,000 to 11
12/17/01-Citizens for Harkin	$1,000
1st Q 2002 - Jan. 1-March 31, 2002		$37,000 to 8
3/28/02-Norris for Congress	$1,000
Nonfederal-1st Q 2002 - Jan. 1-March 31, 2002		$28,000 to 2
Iowa Democratic Party	$10,000
2nd Q 2002 - April 1-June 30, 2002		$61,000 to 19
6/3/02-Boswell for Congress 5/6/02-Citizens for Harkin (primary) 5/15/02-Citizens for Harkin (general) 6/6/02-Norris for Congress 6/6/02-Thomas for Congress 4/16/02-Iowa Democratic Party	$5,000 $4,000 $5,000 $2,500 $2,500 $5,000
Nonfederal-2nd Q 2002 - April 1-June 30, 2002		$177,000 to 70 & $98,570 in-kind comp.
Iowa Democratic Party Iowans for Vilsack-Pederson Working Families Coalition Chet Culver Committee 12 candidates for General Assembly ($500 to each except one who rec'd $1,000) 123 in-kind computers  -software licenses (Focus Tech)  -equipment (TechnoServe, LLC)  -software (Dakota Networks)	$93,000*  $20,000 $5,000 $1,000 $6,500 0 0 $36,567.50 $26,388.87 $2,819.60
August Monthly - July 1-July 31, 2002		$7,000 to 3
--
September Monthly - Aug. 1-Aug. 31, 2002		$19,890 to 6
--
October Monthly - Sept. 1-Sept. 30, 2002		$45,000 to 18
9/12/02-Boswell for Congress 9/26/02-Ann Hutchinson for U.S. Congress 9/23/02-John Norris for U.S. Congress 9/23/02-Thomas for Congress 9/5/02-First District Congressional Committee	$5,000 $3,500 $1,500 $2,500 $500
Nonfederal-3rd Q 2002 - July 1-Sept. 30, 2002		$453,436 to 90
Chet Culver Committee ($1,000 + $1,500) Iowa Democratic Party Iowa Coordinated Campaign Victory 2002 [expenditures not considered as contributions: $10,886 to the Iowa Cubs; $286.20 to IDP; $550 to KLRX/FM Sports Radio in Des Moines; $330 to KXIC in Iowa City; $250 to WMT-AM in Cedar Rapids; $1,124 to Mailtech, Inc. in Des Moines; 2,500 to David Shrader Racing]	$2,500 $18,000 $25,000
Pre-General - Oct. 1-Oct. 16, 2002		$15,000 to 3
--	--
Nonfederal Pre-General		$32,500 to 15
--	--
Post-General - Oct. 17-Nov. 25, 2002		$60,500 to 9
11/18/02-Iowa Democratic Party	$2,500
Nonfederal Post-General - Oct. 17-Nov. 25, 2002		$101,500 to 38
--	--
Total Federal Nonfederal Nonfederal--in-kind computers	$288,276 $41,500 $181,000 $65,776	$98,750

* The Optimists purchased the Iowa Democratic Party's voter file, which carried a price tag of $65,000.  The $93,000 shown in the Nonfederal  2nd Q 2002 report quite probably includes this, in which the total contributions to Iowa candidates and committees is reduced accordingly:

Total Federal Nonfederal Nonfederal computers

$175,276 $39,000 $70,500 $65,776

$536,140 $195,890 $241,500 $98,750

.

-Kristian Denny, who went to work in late May/early June 2002 as deputy communications director for Victory 2002/the IDP, is described in news accounts as an Edwards loyalist from Washington, DC (she was recommended to the IDP by Edwards' PAC director Steve Jarding; they met in 1998 when he was at DSCC and she was working on a SC race). 

-Charles Hurt, The Charlotte Observer, reported that the Optimists sent out a mailing in the Amanda Ragan state Senate special election.

-Mike Glover, Associated Press, reported that Edwards recorded an auto call to boost turnout at the Feb. 11 precinct caucuses. 

Sen. Edwards at the Fink Farm in Carlisle on Aug. 17, 2002.

Aug. 2002 in Fairfield-State rep. candidate John Whitaker works at one of the 123 computers provided by the New American Optimists.  (The sticker at the top reads, "John Edwards' New American Optimists-Helping Democrats Win in 2002").

August 2002 in Fairfield-A woman looks at literature provided by the New American Optimists.  15,000 each of 45 different pieces for 56 different candidates were produced.