Residents and business owners are encouraged to rate the city of Cedar Rapids' response to the flood and its aftermath by filling out a customer satisfaction survey available by phone or online. Dial 211 to complete the survey by phone or go to www.cedar-rapids.org and click on "Flood Reponse: Customer Satisfaction Survey" link to fill out online. City staff will use the survey results to improve service and response to flooded-out residents and business owners.

Slovakia will help the Czech and Slovak Museum and Library with an unspecified contribution toward recovering from massive flooding in June, the Slovak government press department said Friday. The grant from the Office for Slovaks Living Abroad is in addition to a Czech government promise of aid worth $1 million to the museum.The Cedar Rapids museum is the only professional museum charting Czech and Slovak history and immigration in the United States.

United Way of East Central Iowa, the Community Corrections Improvement Association and AmeriCorps/Vista have established a common point of contact for people needing help and people wanting to volunteer at the East Central Iowa Volunteer Reception Center at Echo Hill Presbyterian Church, 1700 B Ave. NE.Individuals, groups and organizations wishing to volunteer should call (319) 540-4810. People and groups looking for assistance should call (319) 540-4815. The center will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Calls also will be accepted today. This effort will take the place of calling Serve the City to volunteer or seek assistance. The Volunteer Reception Center will be collecting information already submitted through a number of groups and work in conjunction with Churches United, Serve the City, CorridorRecovery.org, businesses and others to help match those able to help with those most in need.

Republican Susan Collins has spent a lot of time, effort, and money to create an image for herself as a moderate, independent voice in the Senate. Of course, her record is anything but moderate, and her consultant-crafted image crumbles whenever Mainers take even a quick look at what she’s done in Washington.

Check out this video from our Road to Victory series, where Mainers confront the difference between Collins’ image and her record’s reality.

For more on the Maine Senate race, see our race profile page, or visit Tom Allen’s website.

You may have heard over the weekend that Republican Senator John McCain and his wife had some trouble with one of their homes. After having missed tax payments for several years, the beachfront condo was inches away from default. But McCain isn’t the only Senate Republican in a housing crisis.

Following an article in the National Journal, Minnesota Republican Norm Coleman has come under scrutiny for a sweetheart deal he got on his Capitol Hill apartment. Not only is he paying a mere $600 a month in rent to a prominent political operative, but he’s apparently allowed to miss payments every now and again, with no penalty.

Earlier this month, after National Journal questioned Coleman and [St. Paul political consultant Jeff] Larson about the living arrangement, the senator said he discovered that his rent for last November and January had not been paid. In mid-June, Coleman covered the back rent with a personal check for $1,200 made out to Larson and signed by the senator's wife. Last year, Coleman sold furniture to Larson to cover one month's rent, according to Larson. And Larson held on to yet another month's rent check for three months, cashing it a few days after NJ's inquiries.

If only all DC landlords were so generous and forgiving.

But Jeff Larson’s no ordinary landlord. Larson’s company has done over $1.5 million in business with Coleman’s campaigns, and Coleman employed Larson’s wife in his St. Paul office. Minnesota Democrats are calling on Coleman to answer questions about his lease agreement and his unusually close relationship with Larson.

Here are a few news articles with more information on this story:

• Friendly Dealings, National Journal
• Sen. Coleman accused of ethics lapse for D.C. housing arrangement, Pioneer Press
• Watchdog seeks Coleman probe, National Journal
• Watchdog group files ethics charge against Coleman, Associated Press
• Group urges Coleman rent deal inquiry, Star Tribune

On a more personal note, we encourage Senator Coleman to send us any tips he might have on how to find such an amazing deal in DC’s expensive rental market. We’d love to find a one-bedroom for that price. And perhaps when Norm finds himself unemployed next January, there’s a second career as a real estate agent waiting for him here in the District.

For more on the Minnesota Senate race, see our race profile page, or visit Al Franken's website.

Bruce Lunsford has been a Kentucky business leader for more than 20 years. As a business leader, Bruce learned the importance of listening to his employees, his customers, his critics, and anyone who had an opinion on how things should be done. As a U.S. Senate candidate, he’s been applying that same philosophy on his latest campaign tour, spending time at gas stations around the state, listening to Kentuckians’ concerns about everything from health care to gas prices. 

Growing up on a Kenton County farm, Bruce learned not only farming skills, but a strong work ethic and a sense of dedication to his community. When he enrolled at UK in 1965, he quickly became a campus leader, working as an intramural adviser. He worked his way through college, then earned a law degree, became a Certified Public Accountant, and joined the National Guard.

During his recent campaign tour, Lunsford has talked about the need to break Washington’s gridlock in order to help working families with rising costs and health care access. As a Kentuckian, he’s angry that Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell (Lunsford’s opponent in November) is chiefly responsible for the Senate’s inaction on many important issues:

“Mitch has probably done more to obstruct progress in the Senate than any other senator. He has used his power much more to stop things than he has to make things happen,” Lunsford said during a visit at the Calloway County Courthouse.

“When you get someone in that position you can have a dream that things can happen. Like a dream that health care can get better; what I call ‘dreammaker ideas.' But he's really a dream breaker who steps in the way and stops things from happening whether it's children's health care or health care for everyone.”

For more on the Kentucky Senate race, see our race profile page, or visit Bruce Lunsford’s website.

Over the last few days I've talked to some Mainers about the more confusing aspects of Senator Susan Collins' campaign for re-election.

Check out the video below and see what Mainers have to say about how Senator Collins' claims stack up against reality.

There are plenty of reasons why “Big Bad John” Cornyn doesn’t want Texans to think about his record this November. Last week, we saw yet another example as Cornyn voted to jeopardize Texans’ access to Medicare.

But Texans noticed Cornyn’s shameful vote. As the Dallas Morning News reported:

The main political arm of Texas physicians today withdrew its endorsement of U.S. Sen. John Cornyn for re-election.

Texas Medical Association spokesman Steve Levine said its 43,000 doctors and medical students are furious because Mr. Cornyn voted Thursday night to block Senate consideration of a House-passed bill to stave off 10.6 percent cuts in doctors’ Medicare fees.

Many senior citizens and working families in Texas rely on Medicare, and John Cornyn showed them his back with this vote.

See our race profile page for more on the Texas Senate race, or visit Rick Noriega’s website.

For another look at Republican John Cornyn's noteworthy video, "Big John," check out the latest from Rick Noriega:

Here are some of the highlights from the Senate races for the week of June 23.

Alaska: Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich picked up the endorsement of retired General Wesley Clark this week. Clark cited Begich’s high ethical standards and his commitment to veterans issues, and said that Begich is the kind of leader who can take Alaska in a new direction. 

Colorado: I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Do they ever get tired of writing about Bob Schaffer?” Sure does seem like there’s a lot to say about the scandal-plagued, gaffe-prone, far-right Republican, doesn’t it? So instead, let’s take a look at the company he keeps. The DSCC has released a new video examining some of Schaffer’s business relationships. And while the Road to Victory was in Colorado, Amy caught up with one of Schaffer’s old associates.

Georgia: Democrat Jim Martin has released a new TV ad, highlighting his service and the work he’s done for the middle class. What Martin doesn’t say in the ad – because the vote hadn’t happened yet – is that Georgia Republican Saxby Chambliss voted this week against a bill that would prevent steep cuts to the health care programs many of Georgia’s working families and seniors rely on. The bill failed by a single vote; if Chambliss had stood up for the middle class, it would have passed.

Kansas: Whenever Senate Republicans talk about the problems facing American families, someone should remind them that they were in charge for more than a decade and didn’t do anything to help during that time. When Kansas Republican Pat Robertson patted himself on the back for a plan to reduce fuel prices, Democrat Jim Slattery reminded him of that inconvenient truth. “Roberts has been in Washington for 40 years,” said Slattery. “Where has he been on this issue before now? He’s been voting with the big oil companies that have contributed over $200,000 to his campaign.” And by the way, it turns out that Roberts’ “solution” wouldn’t actually bring down fuel prices at all.

Minnesota: All you need to know about Republican Norm Coleman’s judgment and his position on the Iraq war is right here in a new video from the DSCC.

Mississippi: In a column for the insider rag The Hill, analyst and blogger Markos Moulitsas takes a look at the Mississippi Senate race, where former Governor Ronnie Musgrove is running neck-and-neck with interim Senator Roger Wicker. In a state that Bush won overwhelmingly in 2004, many observers had expected Wicker to cruise to an easy election. This article is a great overview of Mississippi politics and this intense race.

Nebraska: Former Senator Bob Kerrey sent an email to Democrat Scott Kleeb’s supporters this week, talking about the need for public service, and the ways Republican leadership has failed the American people. “A critical trust has been broken, and it is up to us to help restore it,” Kerrey said. “There is no way I could ever turn my back on that duty. When I decided not to run [for Senate this year], I did so only because I knew that there was a new generation of leadership capable of meeting the challenges ahead. Scott Kleeb is that leader.”

New Mexico: Democrat Tom Udall has released a new TV ad, highlighting the work he’s done protecting vital New Mexico jobs from government cutbacks, and creating new jobs at Los Alamos. Check it out here.

Oregon: You’ve got to be kidding. Republican Gordon Smith has released an ad that implies he has the support of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Lest there be any confusion on that front, Obama stands firmly with Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley. Smith’s misleading ad has caught a lot of attention in Oregon. Click here to see some local news coverage.

Oregon: A recent poll may help explain why Smith is so desperate to latch onto Senator Obama’s good name. The poll shows Smith well below 50%, and leading Merkley by just 4 points.

Texas: We were pretty impressed with John Cornyn’s introductory video, “Big John,” and we thought it nicely illustrated how badly Cornyn wants voters to forget that he’s the ultimate Washington insider. After seeing a new poll, we understand exactly why Cornyn is working so hard to produce glitzy videos and downplay his record. The poll shows Cornyn holding just a two point lead over Democrat Rick Noriega, at 38-36.

Here at From The Roots, we understand that it can be difficult to keep track of Bob Schaffer’s scandals. The far-right former Congressman is a genuine throwback to the Republican “culture of corruption,” and is prone to embarrassing mistakes.  So, as a public service, we decided to collect some of the latest Schaffer news for you.

June 18 - Bush Raises Money For “Bobby Boy” Schaffer. George Bush lent hand to Bob Schaffer, the man he affectionately calls “Bobby Boy,” when he attended a $12 million fundraiser for the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. Schaffer has been a loyal Republican foot soldier, voting with Bush 80% of the time when the two overlapped terms.

June 23 - Schaffer Contradicts Earlier Denials On Orr Scandal. Three weeks after his campaign flatly denied that Bob Schaffer was paid by the non-profit group whose founder has been convicted of illegally using funds from a congressional earmark, Schaffer admitted in an article published over the weekend that he actually was paid for his service on the group’s board. 

June 24 - Schaffer Slips In Polls As Scandals Take Toll. After months of defending his links to big oil companies and battling scandals over ties to jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff and convicted felon Bill Orr, Colorado Republican Senate candidate Bob Schaffer has fallen nine points behind Democratic Congressman Mark Udall. 

June 25 - Schaffer Inducted Into Hall of Shame. It’s hard to know where to start with the latest chapter in Schaffer’s scandal-ridden career. This new episode relates to a controversial earmark that was obtained, while Schaffer was in Congress, for a shady “research” foundation that later hired Schaffer as a director.

June 26 – With Schaffer Trailing By Double Digits, Democrats Release New Video On The Company He Keeps. With a Quinnipiac poll released today showing Democrat Mark Udall taking a ten point lead over Bob Schaffer in Colorado, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has released a new web video about the company Bob Schaffer keeps. From jailed lobbyists to convicted felons, click here to see Schaffer’s associates.

Rest assured, there will be updates in the coming weeks.

For more on the Colorado Senate race, check out our race profile page, or visit Mark Udall’s website.

Normally, the videos we post here are created by Democrats, so this may be a first. But since a local Texas reporter is saying this video is making John Cornyn a "national laughing-stock," we figure it helps our cause more than his. So take a look at the video and... well, enjoy:

And if you're in the mood for a little more entertainment, check out Jon Stewart's take on the ad:

No wonder Republican Senator Gordon Smith is running desperate new ads seeking to link himself to Barack Obama. A poll conducted by Republican polling firm Public Opinion Strategies for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in late May and just released shows Smith leading Democrat Jeff Merkley 38% to 34%, with Independent John Frohnmayer, who was running on a platform of withdrawing from Iraq and impeaching President Bush and has since dropped out of the race, taking 11%. Bill McInturff, the Republican who conducted the poll, wrote in a memo that Smith “is clearly quite vulnerable” and added "(I)ncumbents typically experience a 'what you see is what you get phenomenon' that would indicate at this time Smith will receive none of the significant undecided vote.”

When Frohnmayer dropped out of the race two weeks ago, Portland pollster Mike Riley told the Oregonian that his exit “definitely helps Merkley” and the Register-Guard wrote that “Frohnmayer wouldn’t have drawn many voters away from Smith.”

Chamber poll shows Gordon Smith vulnerable
By Jeff Mapes, the Oregonian June 26, 2008

A key lobbying group philosophically allied with Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., released a survey Wednesday warning that Smith "is clearly quite vulnerable" in his re-election race against Democrat Jeff Merkley.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce conducted an in-depth poll at the end of May that showed a large number of undecided voters and only a small lead for Smith. The survey is dated in the sense that it includes independent John Frohnmayer, who recently dropped out of the race. But the polling memo from Bill McInturff, a respected Republican surveyor working for the chamber, serves as a wakeup call to Smith's business allies that he could be in trouble.

The survey found Smith with 38 percent, Merkley at 34 percent, Frohnmayer at 11 percent and 16 percent undecided. McInturff said in the memo that Smith, as a well-known incumbent, could have trouble growing his support.

"(I)ncumbents typically experience a 'what you see is what you get phenomenon' that would indicate at this time Smith will receive none of the significant undecided vote," he wrote.

McInturff said Smith does better among voters over 65 while Merkley leads among those aged 35 or under. This means that the race could hinge on whether young people turn out in large numbers in the fall.

Merkley spokesman Matt Canter said the poll demonstrated why Smith is working so hard to portray himself as a bipartisan figure with strong Democratic support. "He has to run from his record and mislead Oregonians to get re-elected this year," Canter said.

It may not have been the longest, most expensive or most complicated Fourth of July parade the city has ever seen, but it certainly was the only one ever organized by an 8-year-old.A few weeks ago when Stella Doss of Cedar Rapids heard there would be no Independence Day parade because of the downtown flooding, her heart sank. Where would all the children go to have a parade?But then she started to plan."I thought that, since the children wouldn't have a parade to go to, I'd do my own," Stella said.After distributing fliers to all the kids on her street, the word spread by newspaper and radio, and soon Stella and Myrna Cooney, her great-grandmother and assistant manager, were fielding calls from people who wanted to be a part of the impromptu event.All of a sudden, Stella's parade was a reality.

Flood-damaged buildings outside the 100-year flood plain that have been labeled with green or yellow placards may be entered for doing nonstructural work subject to electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, the city said Thursday. Examples of this type of work include replacing water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners and wiring. These permits are subject to all applicable codes and regulations.However, a code official may determine that safety concerns nevertheless indicate that no permit should be issued. For details, call (319)-286-5831.

Just a week after Federal Emergency Management Agency mobile homes began to arrive in Cedar Rapids, their first tenants are moving in.A Cedar Rapids family was able to move out of a tent in their backyard Friday into one of the homes at Squaw Creek Village in Marion, FEMA announced.As of Friday, FEMA had leased 301 sites in area mobile home parks. It has delivered 36 manufactured homes and#8212; either mobile homes or park models and#8212; and has 61 more on the way from its two storage sites in Cumberland, Md., and Hope, Ark. "I promised Iowa Gov. Chet Culver that we would begin moving families in within 20 days of the state's request. I'm proud that the state and federal teams were able to do this so quickly," said Bill Vogel, FEMA's coordinating officer for disaster recovery in Iowa.

Only optimists would be up this early.Working at the time of day usually occupied only by songbirds, early-morning joggers and the criminally underpaid, members of the Optimist Club of Cedar Rapids got up when the stars were out to spread the Stars and Stripes throughout streets in Cedar Rapids, placing 3 foot by 5 foot American flags into small metal holders in the lawns of participating homeowners.All told, it took the group of 15 members about an hour to place the 170 flags along several streets primarily in the southeast quadrant of Cedar Rapids.As part of the service, the flags were guaranteed to be placed in their holders at dawn and removed from them by dusk.Steve Menzner, 65, the group’s treasurer, said it is the first year for the fundraiser, with plans for future growth.“In the future we hope to expand a lot,” Menzner said. Another member, Dave Martin, 56, of Marion, agreed.“We’re hoping that next year every house will have one,” Martin said. “We want this to become our major fundraiser.”Similar to other programs across the country, the Avenue of the Flags program offers the day long loan of the flag for $8 each on Independence Day, Veterans Day and Labor Day. Next year the group hopes to add Memorial Day and Flag Day to the mix. The group wants to switch to a different fundraiser because of flagging sales for the group’s annual Christmas tree sale -- a result of the increased popularity of artificial trees.Nearly all of the funding from the event will go to the nonprofit groups supported by the Optimist Club of Cedar Rapids. Two of these organizations, the H.D. Youth Center and the Boys and Girls Club of Cedar Rapids, are in desperate need of funding.“Both of those organizations were hit hard by flooding, so this fundraising is especially important this year,” Menzner said. “Being supporters of youth, this is a good way to set an example.”

CORALVILLE and#8212; The Guess Who played an uneven set before a large, if slightly lethargic, crowd in Coralville's S.T. Morrison Park as the headliners for the 2008 edition of 4thFEST. For sake of argument, let's set aside the question of whether it is inherently odd to book a Canadian band for your Independence Day celebration and#8212; and it's only fair to note that one band member is celebrating his first Fourth of July as a citizen of the United States. Even then, the band raises another question: How many membership changes can you go through and still be the same group?Arguably, the current incarnation of the Guess Who is a tribute band. While the lineup includes original bassist Jim Kale and original drummer Garry Peterson, the band lacks the key element from its years as a hit maker in the late 1960s and early 1970s and#8212; the voice of Burton Cummings. Cummings may not have quite been what Freddie Mercury was to Queen or what Peter Cetera was to Chicago through the early 1980s, but he was close.That said, guitarist and lead vocalist Derek Sharp and#8212; who was filling in for the injured Carl Dixon and#8212; gave it his all on the band's collection of hits. His bright clear tenor lacks the texture of Cummings' voice and his occasional efforts to capture some of that texture tended to fail. Nevertheless, he was generally pleasant to listen to.Sharp and company didn't really connect with the audience until six songs into the set, when they performed the quirky but wonderful "No Sugar Tonight," despite having already performed such hits as "Laughing," "Undun," and the novelty number "Clap for the Wolfman." The crowd jumped in to help with the catchy scatting in "No Sugar Tonight."The band hit its stride with the final three numbers of the main set, delivering nice performances of "Hand Me Down World" and "Share the Land" (which seemed quite appropriate in this post-flood moment) and a pulsing, roaring rendition of "American Woman" that brought the crowd its feet.The first of the band's two encores, "These Eyes" and#8212; the other was "No Time" and#8212; reinforced the band's commitment to sounding as much like the radio releases of yore as possible. Synthesized strings supported the sound, and while this added a sort of authenticity, it also highlighted the fact that this was an ersatz experience. A note-perfect flute solo from Leonard Shaw on "Undun" and several of Laurie MacKenzie's derivative guitar solos produced the same general effect.

CEDAR RAPIDS and#8212; It may not have been the longest, most expensive or most complicated Fourth of July parade the city has ever seen, but it certainly was the only one ever organized by an 8-year-old.A few weeks ago when Stella Doss of Cedar Rapids heard there would be no Independence Day parade because of the downtown flooding, her heart sank. Where would all the children go to have a parade?But then she started to plan."I thought that, since the children wouldn't have a parade to go to, I'd do my own," Stella said.After distributing fliers to all the kids on her street, the word spread by newspaper and radio, and soon Stella and Myrna Cooney, her great-grandmother and assistant manager, were fielding calls from people who wanted to be a part of the impromptu event.All of a sudden, Stella's parade was a reality.On Friday, wielding an American flag lent to her by Johnson Elementary School of Arts and garbed from head to toe in red, white and blue, Stella sat in the back of a convertible at the head of a procession made up of police cruisers, a fire engine and a 1928 Mercedes-Benz.Following them, an official Freedom Festival vehicle blared patriotic favorites, members of Diversity Focus walked by carrying flags from foreign countries and children ran to and fro, throwing candy to onlookers.The parade crept up three blocks of 28th Street NW, before making a creative U-turn at a carwash at the top of the hill, with police officers momentarily blocking off Johnson Avenue before the parade headed back down the street."We kind of improvised with the parade route," said Alan Fear, a K-9 officer with the Cedar Rapids police.Fear, who helped recruit several of the other officers for the parade, said he read about Stella's plan in the newspaper and felt compelled to come."The last line of the story said that Stella really wanted police and fire fighters to show up at the parade, so I sent out a few text messages and people decided to show up." he said.In total, the parade lasted only about 15 minutes, but that didn't seem to bother Gene Kemmerer, 73, and his wife, Kate, 72, of Cedar Rapids, who both joined the 30 spectators in applauding as the parade passed by. "It was fantastic," Gene Kemmerer said, beaming. "It doesn't get much better than this."n Contact the writer: (319) 329-0181 or stephen.schmidt@gazcomm.com

New one-stop center set up for aid, volunteering CEDAR RAPIDS and#8212; United Way of East Central Iowa, the Community Corrections Improvement Association and AmeriCorps/Vista have established a common point of contact for people needing help and people wanting to volunteer at the East Central Iowa Volunteer Reception Center at Echo Hill Presbyterian Church, 1700 B Ave. NE.Individuals, groups and organizations wishing to volunteer should call (319) 540-4810. People and groups looking for assistance should call (319) 540-4815. The center will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Calls also will be accepted today. This effort will take the place of calling Serve the City to volunteer or seek assistance. The Volunteer Reception Center will be collecting information already submitted through a number of groups and work in conjunction with Churches United, Serve the City, CorridorRecovery.org, businesses and others to help match those able to help with those most in need.Slovakia pledges aid to Czech Museum recovery BRATISLAVA, Slovakia and#8212; Slovakia will help the Czech and Slovak Museum and Library with an unspecified contribution toward recovering from massive flooding in June, the Slovak government press department said Friday. The grant from the Office for Slovaks Living Abroad is in addition to a Czech government promise of aid worth $1 million to the museum.The Cedar Rapids museum is the only professional museum charting Czech and Slovak history and immigration in the United States.City asks what you think of flood service efforts CEDAR RAPIDS and#8212; Residents and business owners are encouraged to rate the city of Cedar Rapids' response to the flood and its aftermath by filling out a customer satisfaction survey available by phone or online. Dial 211 to complete the survey by phone or go to www.cedar-rapids.org and click on "Flood Reponse: Customer Satisfaction Survey" link to fill out online. City staff will use the survey results to improve service and response to flooded-out residents and business owners. Some homes may be entered for repair workCEDAR RAPIDS and#8212; Flood-damaged buildings outside the 100-year flood plain that have been labeled with green or yellow placards may be entered for doing nonstructural work subject to electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, the city said Thursday. Examples of this type of work include replacing water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners and wiring. These permits are subject to all applicable codes and regulations.However, a code official may determine that safety concerns nevertheless indicate that no permit should be issued. For details, call (319)-286-5831. Sioux City radio stations raise flood relief money SIOUX CITY and#8212; Two radio stations in the Sioux City area and#8212; KKMA-FM and KKYY-FM and#8212; aired a "Pay For Play" promotion June 30 that raised $1,045 for the American Red Cross to aid Eastern Iowa flood victims.Listeners pledged a minimum of $10 to request a song to be played on the air.EPA warns of scam artists seeking to do air sampling WASHINGTON and#8212; The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is not conducting indoor air sampling in response to the Iowa flooding. If you are contacted by anyone claiming to represent EPA offering indoor air sampling for a fee, please report this activity to the FEMA Fraud Hotline at 1-(866) 720-5721 or the Iowa attorney general at 1-(888) 777-4590.The Gazette