By Matt Milner

OTTUMWA — Mariannette Miller-Meeks laughed Monday when she was asked about how efficiently a political campaign ruins any thought of a relaxing summer.

Ruin isn’t really the word. It eats time the way visitors to the Iowa State Fair consume food on sticks. She’s proud of making each of the 2nd Congressional District’s county fairs, and the state fair to boot. But it’s a different dynamic when the visit is for a campaign rather than for pleasure.

Miller-Meeks, R-Ottumwa, was back in Ottumwa on Monday for a campaign stop with Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron. She met with a handful of business owners at the former Greenbriar building for what was half round-table discussion and half reception.

“What we’re trying to do is get together some of our ... business owners and see what comments they have,” she said. “We believe Iowa can be the next business powerhouse.”

That leads into King’s spot on the visit. King represents Iowa’s 5th Congressional District. The district leads Iowa in renewable energy and is one of the top few districts in the country in that category.

Miller-Meeks sees a chance to take King’s district’s experiences and translate them for eastern Iowa.

Energy is a national security issue for Miller-Meeks. Simply put, you can’t expand the economy without having reliable sources of energy. When rising oil prices or regional conflicts destabilize the energy market, it’s not reliable.

Miller-Meeks said she favors opening offshore reserves and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for drilling. She took aim at the argument against ANWR drilling by saying the distance to the Alaska pipeline is short, meaning less disruption and cost for infrastructure than many segments of the original pipeline.

Even symbolic gestures matter, she said. Oil prices plunged after President Bush’s announcement that he was lifting the presidential moratorium on drilling in those areas, even though the announcement didn’t put a single drop of oil into the world supply.

Miller-Meeks and King also called for expansion of other power sources, including wind, solar and nuclear power. King blasted Congressional Democrats on the issue.

“Wind, solar and geothermal. That’s the only energy they’ll let you have without a fight. And Ted Kennedy won’t let you have wind if he has to look at the [turbines],” he said.

King charged that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is trying to put off any energy vote until after the elections to spare her members an awkward confrontation with voters who want energy expansion.

Miller-Meeks echoed the attack when talking about flood recovery in Iowa. She said the Democratic leadership has failed to pass appropriate flood relief. The House adjourned for its August recess without passing a second flood relief bill. And just getting the money already allocated hasn’t been easy for some.

“For a city or county to have to hire a lobbyist to advocate for flood relief? That is in fact what we have elected representatives for,” Miller-Meeks said. She added that too many flood victims don’t know when assistance will come, and that prevents them from planning for their futures.

Miller-Meeks is challenging incumbent Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Mount Vernon, for Iowa’s Second Congressional District seat.

Source: The Ottumwa Courier