Boswell raises brows at claim by Fallon

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

(Des Moines Register)

By THOMAS BEAUMONT

Democratic candidate for Congress Ed Fallon's assertion that he never weighed a third-party candidacy for Iowa governor is "disingenuous," Rep. Leonard Boswell said Monday.

"Disingenuous. I'm going to be kind," Boswell told reporters after an appearance in Altoona. "I find it a little hard to believe."

Fallon is challenging Bos-well, the six-term Democratic incumbent in Iowa's 3rd District, in the June 3 Democratic primary.

Boswell was commenting on Fallon's claim last week that he never considered a third-party gubernatorial bid after the 2006 primary, despite correspondence from a top campaign staffer suggesting he did. His 2006 campaign communication director, in an e-mail to state ethics board staff, suggested Fallon had weighed a third-party bid.

Fallon, a former state representative from Des Moines, said the e-mail was an error. Fallon endorsed the winner of the primary, Democrat Chet Culver, two days after the primary.

"Here's what's disingenuous - ignoring the fact that I was at a rally two days after the primary supporting Chet Culver," Fallon said. "Being a little bit careless in one's choice of words is entirely different than being disingenuous."

Lynn Heuss, who is now Fallon's congressional campaign manager, said she used imprecise language in the e-mail, which was aimed at explaining why Fallon paid himself and her a salary from his gubernatorial campaign account for months after he lost the three-way primary.

Among the reasons, she wrote, "there was the possibility that he would decide to run as a third-party candidate."

Heuss has said she meant to say there was the chance Fallon would run for a different office in the future.

Boswell said he doubted that Heuss was mistaken.

"It seems like you are in pretty close communication with your (communication director)," Boswell said. "And you're taking six or seven months to close out a campaign. There's something going on."

Boswell's comments Monday were the latest in his effort to characterize Fallon as a less-than-loyal Democrat before the June 3 primary. Fallon has called his endorsement of Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader in 2000, which Boswell routinely mentions, a mistake.

The third-party candidacy issue arises from questions Boswell's campaign raised about whether a political and issue advocacy group Fallon runs violates federal campaign law.

The group, called I'M for Iowa, is registered as a small business and therefore does not have to report its contributions. Boswell's campaign has said the group has promoted Fallon's congressional candidacy. Federal law prohibits corporate contributions to congressional campaigns.