Pelosi and the Iowa floods

Speaker Nancy Pelosi toured Iowa flood and tornado zones this week, locales now in their 3rd month and more of cleanup and restoration. This is after she failed to pass legislation to assist in the Iowa efforts. This is also after she went on a miserable failure of a book tour. This is also after she turned off the lights and cameras in the U.S. House to stop debate on our energy crisis. And what do we get from the media? An audio clip on WHO Radio of Pelosi saying you just can’t believe it until you see it.

If you remember, Pelosi was one of the first to jump on Pres. Bush for bungling Katrina recovery. This time Pres. Bush had to sign an executive order to decrease Iowa’s co-pay on flood relief. That is not something the president should do, it is the jurisdiction of Congress.

Pelosi should be chastised by the media as well as her Democrat buddies Culver, Braley, Loebsack, and Boswell. Latham and King were already ripping on her and in case you missed Latham’s speech on the House floor, you may view it by clicking here.

2010 Gubernatorial Race Ranking

As promised, here’s how I would rank the Republicans profiled in this blog according to my opinion on who would be the best candidate for this great state.

A good candidate will have the energy and tenacity to run a campaign on the issues and against the opponent. A good candidate will know the issues inside and out and will be aligned with the voters on the majority of the issues. A good candidate will know how to utilize the free and paid media. A good candidate will be able to raise a ton of money as well as run a full court grassroots campaign. A good candidate won’t run from each and every battle because he will be too busy winning the war on the offensive.

Before I get to my ranking, take a moment to think of a past statewide candidate that did all of the above? Oh and to make it harder, Democrats are excluded.

Non-starters

There is absolutely no chance for Iverson, Dix or Rants to make a successful run. No chance. Zip, zero, nada, no way. I just wanted to add them by name so no one thought I didn’t know they were interested.


#5 – Chuck Larson, Jr.

I’ve put Chuck at number five because he hasn’t been involved in the past few years and to be honest, when he was involved, not too many people thought highly of him outside the establishment.

Chuck would make a fair candidate but with the field we have available, I just don’t see him becoming our next governor. Someday maybe, but not in 2010.

#4 – Bob Vander Plaats

If King runs, Bob is out. It may take awhile for Bob to realize this, but it will certainly be earlier than when he bowed out in February to join Nussle.

BVP has a good-size following inside the GOP base and he was victorious by jumping on board Huckabee’s caucus train when he was still in low single digits. I know that had more to do with Huck than anything BVP did, but now Bob can tap into that organization.

If Bob thinks the third time is a charm, he will have to add a lot more punch to his 2010 campaign. He will absolutely have to be specific on issues. He will have to tell the rank-and-file exactly what he will do with taxes, what programs he will shrink or abolish. He is going to have to become a policy wonk as well as a motivational speaker. I just don’t feel good about a third try at Governor for Bob.

Bob has a role inside the GOP, but nobody can find it.

#3 – Matt Whitaker

If neither King nor Pearson give the Governor’s race a go, I would love to see Whitaker swoop in as the crusader who can clean up Iowa government. Whitaker is in the position to come in as an outsider with great experience and turn this state around. The voters would eagerly jump on board with him.

Whitaker is a conservative and the rank-and-file primary voters are still enamored with his aggressive and upbeat campaign in 2002. In any role, Whitaker is a great leader for the Republican Party. Young, dynamic, and a powerful presence, Whitaker can help all of us turn the corner to prosperity.

#2 – Mark Pearson

This is an early ranking based solely on expectations. I expect Pearson will run. I expect he will stay conservative. I expect that he will be able to handle himself on the stump.

With that out of the way, I expect he would be a remarkable candidate for office. He’s folksy, which is a trait Iowa voters like in their politicians. He can certainly articulate a message. Image alone can take Pearson most of the way past Culver in the polls. I also like the fact that Pearson comes from outside the political culture. Most elected officials lose their marbles within a term or two. Pearson will have a better perspective than most on the GOP bench.

What it will boil down to for Pearson is, first, his willingness to take up the social conservative gauntlet and, second, King deciding against running. These two hurdles are the only things keeping Pearson out of terrace Hill.

#1 – Steve King

Conservative voters will pick King over anyone in the primary if he chooses to run. I hope he does because we want someone who isn’t afraid to fight and to stand up for what we all believe in. We are sick of watered down conservatism. It has lost us the state house, state senate, governor’s mansion, U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and will probably put Obama in the White House. By now we better have learned that doesn’t work to win elections. We need to draw a bright line between Democrat and Republican. King draws that line better than anyone else in the state.

King’s conservative stance will be welcomed by voters in rural areas of the state as well as conservatives in urban centers. King knows how to run a campaign better than most and has the energy to outwork any other candidate.

Sure the media hates King, but name someone you know who trusts the media. After King wins the primary and Republicans across the state get behind him, you will see a tidal wave of conservatism sweep this state. Is it risky for King? Absolutely. I believe he would put the relative security of remaining in his Congressional seat behind him to run for governor and take back our state from liberal mismanagement and corruption.

A commenter on this blog got it right when they said Republicans should be enthused by the quality of potential candidates we have to choose from in 2010. Looking at the list, their records, their abilities, and potential, I believe Steve King belongs at the top of the list.

The Elephant in the Room

Congressman Steve King is definitely the elephant in the room in any Iowa state wide Republican primary discussion. As many of you know, King looked at running against Harkin this year and opted to stay in the U.S. House. We know he would have liked the fight against Harkin but with McCain as the Presidential Nominee and with Republican numbers declining, his best choice was to stay in the House. King is the Republican Party’s greatest asset and we need him working away at the liberals.

So which one is best for King and best for us? King is facing redistricting in 2012 and there is no assurance what the new district will bring. When Iowa goes to four districts, King may well represent two-thirds of Iowa from Congress. He may as well run statewide. I know eastern Iowa and the voters there will respond positively to King’s brand of politics. Any other candidate for Governor needs a primary to hone their message and political skills. King will come in to the contest already prepared and with a complete grasp of federal and state issues.

King is the rock star for the base. He is the de facto leader of the Republicans in Iowa. The biggest pro and biggest con are the same for Steve King: He is the best Congressman Iowa has, would be the best Governor Iowa can elect, and the best Senator for Iowa. He fits anywhere because of his political acumen, willingness to take the fight to our opponents, and unflinching support of all of our conservative principles. So Iowa Republicans will be divided over what role is best for him.

King’s other pros are that he’s energetic and won’t get out-campaigned by any other candidate. He’s loved by the base and is never shy about taking on a fight. He has won very comfortably three times for Congress and also won with even greater margins as an Iowa Senate candidate. King has federal and state experience and definitely has the most knowledge on the issues of any candidate. King has strong and growing name I.D. across the state and would be able to deliver with great margins the red areas of NW Iowa.

King’s cons are that he’s hated by the liberals and liberal media. He would probably have to pay for any good story in the papers. King has also made some enemies on issues which is bound to happen when you are out front on every important issue to Iowans. King’s name I.D. comes with a hitch. Some folks, mostly in eastern Iowa, only hear the the media's negative bias against King and never get past the first impression the Dem Moines Register gives them. King’s weakness since first running as a state senator was being able to raise money. He’s obviously taking care of this by working with Capitol Resources. He’s raised more money this cycle by far and he is just getting into the prime fundraising times of an election cycle.

It boils down to this - if King wants it, it’s his. I’ve rolled this around in my head for quite some time and can’t paint a picture where King doesn’t win the primary. The general on the other hand is much more difficult. We can have those conversations later though.

Once again, thank you for your comments, all of which were above the belt. I’d also like to thank QCI for the plugs!

East Coast Radical Liberal Influence in Western Iowa

This email was passed along to me last night by a GOP county chair in western Iowa. It was written by the Carroll County GOP chair and King supporter Craig Williams. Many of you have probably gotten his emails and you know, this guy is sharp. A little research tells me he’s also going to be a delegate at the National Convention.

Ditto to his thoughts here! It’s long, but, worth the time to read.

------------------------------

From: Craig Williams [mailto:xxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, July 31, 2008 6:51 PM
To: xxxxxxxx

According to July 15, 2008 FEC filings http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/fecgifpdf, Rob Hubler, Democrat challenger to Steve King in the 5th district of Iowa, has gathered donations totaling $81,483.38. He’s also personally guaranteed loans totaling $39,906. The grand total of his contributions and loans since he started this campaign over a year and a half ago is $121,389.38.

He’s spent $94,890.93, leaving cash on hand of $26,523.45, which, of course, is less than what Hubler put into the campaign himself. This does not bode well for a challenger to Congressman Steve King.

Hubler has made a big deal about campaign finance reform, demanding free air time to run for office. It seems that the endless string of pro-Hubler/anti-King articles that Doug Burns publishes free of charge in the Carroll Daily Times Herald are not enough to move 5th district Democrats to donate to a war protestor who was asked not to re-enlist in the military after his first tour.

In the 11th hour, facing a mounting debt and lack of contributors, Hubler has hired Joe Trippi from Washington, DC; famous for having brought in $40 million for Howard Dean through internet donations.

There is no secret that there are a number of radical, liberal organizations who want to see Steve King removed from office. These, of course, are not people from Iowa, let alone the 5th district. These are not people with western Iowa values.

There’s clearly not enough in Hubler’s cash reserves to pay for a Trippi, so Trippi must think he can pay for himself from the proceeds he will raise from radical groups wanting to oust Congressman King. That’s a lot of cash. Folks, Hubler’s bringing in outsiders to manipulate our election and tell us how to live!

In the Omaha World Herald article, http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2835&u_sid=10393682, Hubler says, "Joe Trippi moves this where it ought to be — this is a national campaign."

No, it’s not. This is a local campaign for a national office. We are electing someone to represent the 5th district of Iowa – not someone to be a patsy for George Soros and MoveOn.org or the anti-family values groups or pro-illegal immigrant groups or pro-abortion groups or anti-gun groups or Cindy Shehan’s anti-military group or other atheist organizations.

This has really gotten under my skin. It’ll be a cold day in hell before I let some nut balls from California or Colorado tell me how to live.

The kind of money Hubler has to raise to afford a guy like Trippi will dwarf what congressman King has in his campaign funds to combat it and there are less than 14 weeks left until the election.

I started this note out to be informative just to my local Carroll County Republicans. But now my blood is boiling and I want to ask you to do two things:

1) I know some of you (and me) can’t afford to make $2,300-$4,600 donations (see note below on contribution limitations). If you can, please do it. If you can afford $20 or $50 or $100 or more, please make a donation to King for Congress to help counteract these outsiders (perhaps you can make small weekly donations for 14 weeks?). You can go to King’s web site and make the donation on line https://donate.kingforcongress.com/donate.asp?id=1, or send a check to Steve King for Congress, PO Box 576, Odebolt, Iowa 51458, or you can call his campaign on the phone at 712-273-5097 and someone will take your donation information;

2) pass this note on to every God fearing, decent conservative Republican you know and ask them to make a donation as well.

Again, neither Congressman King nor anyone else in his campaign asked me to go looking for donations. But this is what grass roots organizations are all about. Please help combat the outsiders or they will be among us for a long time to come.

Craig Williams
Chairman – Carroll County Republican Central Committee

Lesser of Two Evils...Again

There isn’t a conservative out there who hasn’t struggled with voting for a candidate who didn’t represent their ideology closely enough. In 2004, many conservatives voted for W while holding their noses. We know this is part of the process and we won’t always get our way. In fact, there are only a few elections where I have gotten my way. The most recent of those elections was in 2002 when Congressman Steve King won the four-way primary.

Typically the two party system works, but in any system there are always hiccups. For conservatives, McCain is not only a hiccup, he turns us into bulimics. Conservatives won’t forget McCain’s immigration stance or the Gang of 14. We won’t forget McCain is in favor of embryonic stem cell research and buddies up with Ted Kennedy on “bi-partisan” legislation. It boils down to being confident McCain is going to run harder to the left than he already has and ruin the Republican Party on the way.

We are sick of voting for the lesser of two evils. If we do win, our party, and more importantly our country, will be damaged in the long run. In the past eight years, W and Republican leadership in Congress have stripped the fiscal responsibility mantra of the Republican Party away forever when it was once our badge of honor. We also had our chance to shift the tide of socialism and we actually accelerated it.

Many conservatives voted and worked diligently for W’s election and re-election so we could get back the Supreme Court. We are now faced with the same battle all over again. I’m tired of it, but what can I do? I honestly don’t know the best route to take.

If McCain wins, our party crumbles. If McCain loses, we lose in Iraq and the Supreme Court will be liberal for many future generations. Yet our party may find this the only opportunity to survive for a few more years. Under a Democratic presidency, disastrous as it would be, there is the possibility Republicans will start reading the platform and return to the sound principles which led us to success in 1994 and drained into obscurity in 2006.