By Matt Miller matt@dmcityview.com

Politics in his blood

Locally, Jeneary recently served important role in McCain campaign

He may not have garnered the attention of presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), and probably not the attention of running mate Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, but for Phil Jeneary, the time spent campaigning was well worth the effort.

“It was a great experience working for the McCain campaign,” said Jeneary, 23. “Politics are so important in our lives, and I’m just glad that I can be a part of it.”

Serving as Regional Chief of Staff at the Midwest Regional Headquarters that included Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, Jeneary oversaw the day-to-day operations of the region. He regularly met with staffers, scheduled segregates to speak on behalf of McCain, and talked to local citizens about volunteer opportunities, all the while keeping an eye on the Obama Campaign.

“It was quite busy here as election day came closer and closer,” Jeneary said. “Our staffers usually put in 12-hour days working in the office and out in the community. It was tiring, but rewarding also.”

The road to serving as Regional Chief of Staff in the Midwest Region was a long one for Jeneary, a 2007 Central College graduate. A political science major, he earned college credit in Washington D.C., serving as a legislative intern for Sen. Chuck Grassley from January through May 2006. During his internship, Jeneary helped with constituent mail, wrote speeches for Grassley and was a tour guide at the capital.

“The Washington D.C., internship was great, and I really liked that they gave us important work,” Jeneary said. “It wasn’t all about going and making copies all day, although I did some of that, too. Officials there didn’t just see us as college students interning but gave us work that was time-important and was used by Grassley.”

The native from Le Mars says his time in Washington D.C. propelled his attraction in politics though his senior year.

“I was on the governing part of politics in Washington D.C. and wanted to be on more of the campaigning side,” said Jeneary, who served as a college chair for the Mitt Romney Campaign from April 2007 through February 2008.

“Things really started picking up politically my senior year, and I’ve always followed Romney,” he said. “I was really honored when I got a call from his campaign to be a college chair. After his win in Massachusetts, I knew he was doing something right, and I wanted to be a part of it.”

As the Nov. 4 general election has now passed, Jeneary does not know what the future will hold for him, but his hunger for politics is still present.

“I think if you’re interested in politics, you’re interested in the issues that our country is facing,” he said. “Obviously, no matter what side of the aisle you are on, you want to make things better. I’m not sure what I’m going to be doing next, but I plan to talk to the McCain campaign and stay in the political scene because I want to help the party and help gain our majority back. I’d say the one thing I’ve learned is that hard work pays off. It’s really rewarding when people say ‘thanks for helping.’ We might not win the primary or the presidential election, but I can walk away knowing that I’ve made a difference.”

Politics Watch: The Board of Directors of the Des Moines Chapter of the Izzak Walton League of America recently elected officers for the 2008-08 year, including president Steve Roe. The mission of the league is to conserve, maintain, protect and restore the soil, forest, water and other natural resources of the United States and other lands. CV

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