Jim Leach

A quick review of the most prominently featured speakers over the first three days of the Democratic convention – which ones helped, which ones hurt, and which ones did neither.  read more »

The peak viewership 10:00 P.M. window opened with veteran Iowa Senator Tom Harkin addressing the convention in American Sign Language - a tribute to his late older brother Frank, whose deafness led to Tom Harkin's emergence as one of Congress' most outspoken champions of the disabled.

But Harkin's main role was to introduce his fellow Iowan, former 15-term Republican Congressman Jim Leach, who lost his seat in perhaps the biggest upset of the '06 cycle. Leach, who appeared without his customary sweater, was always one of the most liberal (or perhaps least conservative) congressional Republicans - he actually voted against the Iraq war in 2002 - and he endorsed Barack Obama earlier this year.  read more »