Democratic vet battles Iowa insurgent

The big difference in Boswell's race is that SEIU and the League of Conservation Voters is backing Boswell, not Fallon.

“They are erring by comparing this with the district in Maryland (where Wynn was defeated). They are just two different districts altogether,” Boswell said. “It’s very much a swing district out in Iowa... Someone who is far right or someone who is far left is not going to meet the needs of that kind of district. I’m the kind of person who brings people together. That’s why I’m a good fit,” he said.

Sees his foe as 'very much far left'
He added, “This challenger (Fallon) is very much far left.”

“That characterization is purely polemic,” responded Fallon. “I’m the one in this campaign that’s calling for earmark reform, I’m the one calling for an end to the abuse of eminent domain, I’m the one calling for getting money out of politics. Those are all issues that resonate with independents and with Republican voters.”

Video Nader on the opposing candidates Feb. 24: Ralph Nader speaks with NBC’s Tim Russert of “Meet the Press” about the opposing candidates in the 2008 presidential election. Meet the Press

But Fallon’s fidelity as a Democrat can be questioned given his disdain for Al Gore and his endorsement of Nader in 2000.

Whether or not Nader’s presence on the ballot cost Gore the White House is less important than the fury that many Democrats still feel over those who backed Nader.

“This year the choice is between George W. Bush and a Democrat who is to the right of Bill Clinton,” Fallon told an Iowa crowd shortly before the 2000 election. “I don't begrudge my friends and constituents who plan to vote for Al Gore. I understand their fear of George W. Bush. But voting against somebody isn't enough anymore. If I had three hands maybe I could hold my nose, my gut and my mouth and vote for Al Gore. But in good conscience, I can't, I won't, and you shouldn't either.''

“He was a Nader supporter; he is trying to dodge that right now,” Boswell said. “Now that Nader is coming out (and running for president again), it’s going to be a little more difficult for him to dodge.”

Vote for Nader 'a mistake'
Fallon said Wednesday, “Voting for Ralph Nader was a mistake. That’s a mistake I apologized for. It was one done out of frustration. Al Gore was not running a very good campaign and then to have him go and choose Joe Lieberman as his running mate was kind of the last straw.”

While the arguments of the past are part of the Boswell-Fallon race, the two men are also offering Iowa voters a contrast over the future as well. Trade and energy policy are two cases.

Boswell defends his vote last November for the Peru free trade accord. "It's not a NAFTA deal at all. (House Ways and Means Committee chairman) Charlie Rangel and (Rep. Sander) Levin worked that out and it does take in human rights and labor concerns and environment. It’s a totally different deal (than NAFTA)."

He calls Fallon's attempt to use the issue "just disingenuous.”

But Fallon said, “Just because this particular so-called free trade agreement has some protection in it compared to NAFTA and previous more far-reaching agreements doesn’t make it a good bill. That easily makes it a ‘no’ vote for me.”

Fallon also said Boswell “supports use of coal and that’s an increasingly critical issue here in central Iowa,” Fallon said. “There are proposals for two new coal plants on the edge of the district and Boswell has emphatically supported more coal and I’ve been very strongly against it.”

“He wants to make an issue out of coal,” Boswell noted. “I’ve said this: we should consider all alternatives. It was science that brought us to ethanol; it was science that brought us to biodiesel. It was science that brought us these other alternatives. Maybe science could bring us to a clean coal.”

He added, “We have a lot of deposits of coal in Iowa…. If you could clean it up, and get us out of bondage to OPEC, and not mess up the environment, why wouldn’t we want to at least look at it?”

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