Iowa State Fair låter också skoj

Jag velar ännu om Almedalsveckan. Det är ju ljuvligt här i Gamla stan, såklart (igår var min bror med familj här och lekte i trädgården – och åt jordgubbar och vaniljglass). Men planet går om knappt två timmar från Bromma, så man vet aldrig! Och det där bostad i Visby ordnar sig väl, ehhhh...

Jag vill också åka på USA:s svar på Almedalsveckan, Iowa State Fair, ett troligen galet evenemang med tävlingar om vem som fött upp den fetaste grisen och så'nt. Har försökt få en redaktion att skicka mig på nedanstående studieresa (för att förbereda kongressvals-bevakning) men det gick dessvärre dåligt! Fast visst låter det kul?! Det är amerikanska UD:s pressavdelning som arrangerar resan.

/Gunilla


WHAT: 2006 Midterm Elections Reporting Tour: Part II - Iowa (Second in a series of midterm election reporting tours)

WHEN: Tuesday, August 8 - Saturday, August 12

WHERE: Des Moines, Iowa, with visits to Ames, Waterloo and other locales

Why Iowa? Where else can you meet voters in America's heartland that are used to being catered to hand and foot by every Presidential wannabe? Add to that an open-seat Governor's race, the winner of which may play kingmaker in the 2008 first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. And add to that the fact that two of the most competitive House races in the country are in Iowa (First & Third Districts).

What else is going on? New ethanol plants going into business. Growth of immigrant worker populations. And of course, the Iowa State Fair, a magnet for presidential hopefuls and all other kinds of candidates (not to mention the Lady's Chicken Calling, Monster Arm Wrestling, Tractor Pull, and Pie Eating contests, plus Outhouse Races and Butter Sculpting.)

Visits will be arranged to these and other places to cover the wide range of issues the state of Iowa has to offer, in addition to as much face-time as possible with candidates and political activists.

Plan on arriving in Des Moines any time Tuesday, August 8th to check into the hotel. Tour starts Wednesday morning and ends Saturday afternoon, August 12th. Saturday will be our only day at the State Fair and we have a tentatively scheduled private meeting with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich that afternoon.