Monday
08Feb2010
What We Have Done To Education In Iowa Is Unconscionable
Monday, February 8, 2010 at 06:30PM via youtube.com
Monday, February 8, 2010 at 06:30PM Monday
08Feb2010
Column: Insult the tea party? That’s risky « Des Moines Register Staff Blogs
Monday, February 8, 2010 at 10:49AM The Tea Party movement in Iowa has grown from a political curiosity to a full-fledged phenomenon and potentially powerful force in this year’s state and national elections.
Democrats around the country have disparaged the Tea Party demonstrations, generally dismissing its supporters as wing nuts. The Iowa Poll results in Sunday’s Register might change that, at least in Iowa. It shows one-third of Iowans consider themselves supporters of the Tea Party movement, regardless of party affiliation. Only about a third of these are Republicans. And they seem very inclined to vote.
Republicans so far have given far more attention than Democrats to this rather amorphous collection of Iowans who seem to distrust the party establishment and seek to counter powerful interests that influence both sides of the aisle.
I went out to campaign stops last week for Republicans Bob Vander Plaats and Terry Branstad, in part to see whether these two candidates for governor are appealing directly to Tea Party voters.
Vander Plaats, speaking to about 25 people at the Pizza Ranch in Waukee, played up his outsider status.
“I’m a candidate, quite frankly, that doesn’t owe anyone anything,” Vander Plaats said.
One self-described Tea Party voter, an independent, urged Vander Plaats to show the GOP is for “the little guy” and not just the rich.
Vander Plaats answered, “How we do that is, No. 1 is, we should show them we’re not about establishment-like politics.” Later, he added that he was the only candidate for governor to have never held elected office. “I happen to believe that’s a positive in today’s environment,” he said.
He’s run for the office three times and can’t dodge the label “politician.” But Vander Plaats is making it easy to imagine he would go further than others to bulldoze establishment walls. In the past, such an approach would be tarred as “too risky.” This year, risky might be in vogue.
Monday
08Feb2010
Monday
08Feb2010
Bob Explains Large Pay Disparity Between Private & Public Sector Jobs at Oskaloosa House Party
Monday, February 8, 2010 at 10:11AM via youtube.com
Monday
08Feb2010
Fun Story About Campaign Finance - Cut A Check And Invest In The Campaign
Monday, February 8, 2010 at 10:06AM via youtube.com