Me and Tom
A very young Lisa Sherman was field director in 1996, and she still looks great
Most of our six-week tour of the US is devoted to seeing family and friends. Toward that end, our weekend visit to Des Moines was extremely efficient.
I always love seeing Kay Casstevens
My old boss, Senator Tom Harkin, was hosting his 37th and final annual Steak Fry before his retirement this fall. For all those years the Steak Fry has been a huge political event in Iowa, attracting presidential contenders, political prognosticators, and anyone remotely involved in Iowa Democratic politics. And this year nearly 300 of Tom’s former staff gathered for a reunion the day before the Steak Fry.
It’s hard to explain what it’s like to be a Harkinista. Anybody who has ever worked on one of Tom’s campaigns or in one of his Senate offices becomes part of a big family. And you are part of that family for life. Once you leave you may be called back to duty down the road. And you pretty much can’t say no.
I first worked on Tom’s presidential campaign in 1991-92. It was the first of many presidential campaigns I’ve been closely involved with. It was a super exciting time, but it only lasted six months before we made poor showings in some of the early state primaries, the money dried up, and Tom dropped out of the race.
Richard Bender was a Capitol Hill legend for three decades
During the last few days of that fight, we made a desperate final stand in Maryland, and most of our staff, whatever your job was supposed to be, ended up somewhere in Maryland doing whatever they could. Because the money was drying up, we had Xerox machines and printers loaded up with paper already printed on the back. We crashed on supporter couches. I especially remember the last day of duty when I stood on a street corner in Baltimore holding up an old tattered Harkin sign. I leaned over to tie my shoe, and my blue jeans ripped wide open right smack on the behind.
Some of the Senate office gang from the mid-nineties — Lilly Aguire-Hunt, Brendan Comito, and Mary Ryan
The next morning we all gathered at BWI airport, where Tom announced his withdrawal from the race in front of his teary and devoted team. He promised that he would work his heart out for whichever one of his erstwhile opponents won the primary. Some weeks later, the governor of Arkansas wrapped up the nomination, and Tom made good on his promise, working tirelessly to help Bill Clinton win Iowa and the White House.
Dianne Liepa kept Tom’s affairs in order here in Iowas for three decades.
Tom always worked hard for other Democrats. And you always knew it was more than just a duty. He cared passionately about politics because he card passionately about people. For 40 years he fought with everything he had to champion those in need. He fought for health care, for medical research, and for fair labor laws. He led a global fight against child labor. And as the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act he profoundly reshaped our country to make it more accessible for millions.
So many memories of the 96 campaign with Kate Walton and Jennifer Komos Fiihr
Like so many others who were part of the team, I did additional tours of duty. I worked in the Senate office from 1994 to 1996 and spent four rough months in Iowa on a nail-biter of a reelection race in 1996. In 2001 and 2002 I shuttled back and forth constantly between Cambridge and Des Moines as we deployed VAN for the first time. And for practically two decades I was on call as a consultant, working with the campaign treasurer and my dear friend, Theresa Kehoe.
…and Galinsky! (Laura Galinsky Kelly)
When Tom took to the podium to say goodbye and thank you to 300 loyal Harkinistas on Saturday, there was hardly a dry eye in the place. It was magical to be with so many friends and so many great memories.
And then on Sunday another 10,000 Democrats gathered at the Steak Fry to say goodbye and thank you. Even that former governor from Arkansas that Tom worked so hard for. He brought his wife, too. And something tells me Tom might go to bat one more time for her.
The star lineup at the pre-Steak Fry donor event
Hillary and Jim (and Bill in the back)
In 2002 Jeani Murray was the executive director of the Iowa Democratic Party and Sheila Riggs was the chair. They are the ones who hired me to build the original VAN. Together we revolutionized campaign field operations.
Brad Anderson was my successor as Harkin research director. Just this weekend someone asked if he wasn’t “the new Mark Sullivan.” In November we’re pulling for Brad to be elected Iowa Secretary of State!
I’ve enjoyed watching Beth Freeman celebrate her 60th year by doing 60 new things
How many times have I been on the phone with Theresa Kehoe in the past two decades? A lot!
We had a blast over martinis with Sue Dixen
With the legendary campaign consultant, Teresa Vilmain
A bunch of the campaign team from 96 — Paul DiNino, Don Erbach, Kate Walton, Scott Foval, Laura Galinsky Kelly, Nick Kleinfeldt, Lisa Sherman, me, Jennifer Komos Fiihr, Jeff Link, and Sheila Riggs
