A breaking news buzz

Democrats, Dan McCarney and Tom Vilsack have created quite a stir in Iowa this week.

Sports and politics go great together as well. It's all about who won and why.

This weeks winners were governor-elect Chet Culver (D), incumbent congressmen Steve King (R), Tom Latham (R) and Leonard Boswell (D), newly elected congressmen Dave Loebsack and Bruce Braley, Drake football, Northern Iowa football and many Democrats nationwide.

Losers include: Congressman and candidate for governor Jim Nussle, 30-year congressional veteran Jim Leach, Iowa State football, former Cyclone coach Dan McCarney, Iowa football and lots of Republicans.

Lets start with the winners.

I've been preaching for the last half of the football season that Drake will go to the Gridiron Classic because San Diego will go to the NCAA I-AA playoffs. The Bulldogs secured their second-place finish in the conference with a 35-15 win over Davidson. And the I-AA selection committee has a little bowl selection committee in it ... meaning in addition to looking at San Diego as a team, it will also look at its appeal, i.e. Jim Harbaugh.

Northern Iowa, seen to some as the savior of football in the state of Iowa, beat Western Kentucky 31-20. Those people aren't paying any attention to Drake, though.

As for politics, have you ever seen the movie "A Year Without a Santa Claus?" The kids sing a song to Santa Claus after they find out Santa is too sick to deliver toys. It's called "Blue Christmas," and it reminds me of the elections.

"It'll be a blue Christmas without you ..." The tune is a little somber, which would make it fitting for the Republicans, but Dems could give it a jazzy makeover and it'd work for them, too.

I think the biggest loser in politics is former second-district Rep. Jim Leach. The moderate Republican Congressman has been in office for over 30 years. But as a Republican, voters saw him as part of the problem and sent him packing.

Iowa dropped a shocking 21-7 decision to Northwestern, also know as the worse team in the Big Ten. The explanation is simple, really, Northwestern played like it wanted to win and Iowa just showed up. You can blame me for the loss if you want. It was my first game in the Iowa pressbox, and the media regulars blamed me ... something to do with being from Drake ... even though Drake football and men's basketball won that day.

Iowa State ended its bowl hopes with a 41-10 loss to Kansas in Ames. The lack of a Big 12 loss this season also prompted 12-year coach Dan McCarney to resign. What do you think about that?

On one hand, he was making over $1 million, but McCarney has done some great things with the Cyclones' program. Our buddy Jim Harbaugh is on the list to replace him. I'm rooting for him!

As for Tom Vilsack, we're not sure if he's a winner or loser, yet, but we know he's probably crazy. Vilsack has submitted his name as a presidential candidate. He's the first to do so, so we don't know who the competition will be but we have an idea. But for Vilsack, I guess it's now or never.