TRS and spouse attended the Iowa Leadership Conference out at the West Des Moines Sheraton earlier today. The event was sponsored by the Iowa chapter of the Republican Leadership Council. The event started around 10 and people trickled in all morning. Like most other events today, ice driving dictated arrival time. The crowd was in the 80-100 range when we had to depart, also for weather related reasons.
Former Lt. Governor Joy Corning em`ceed the event. It was very apparent that Joy and former representative Janet Metcalf have done a lot of work in organizing both the event and the Iowa RLC chapter. Former Congressmen Greg Ganske and Jim Leach both spoke. Cong. Leach was especially gracious to all of our Presidential candidates in his remarks. At the conclusion of Cong. Leach’s erudite examination of the state of American politics Joy and John Tone presented Jim with the Lincoln Lifetime Leadership award in recognition of his three decades of dignified and distinguished representation of Iowa in Congress.
State Auditor Dave Vaudt and state representatives Libby Jacobs (Clive) and Walt Tomenga (Johnston) along with Polk County supervisor E.J. Giovannetti and WDM councilman Ted Ohmart rounded out the elected officials on hand. Former senator Maggie Tinsman and Ambassador Mary Kramer, previously president of the Iowa Senate also attended (having escaped the Caribbean earthquake to arrive in time for an Iowa ice storm). Peter Cownie and Mary Tiffany were on hand from a young generation. TRS ol’ buddy Will Rogers sat with Greg Ganske-is a revival in the offing?
We enjoyed a very nice conversation with former EPA Director and New Jersey Governor Christie Todd Whitman. Gov. Whitman would make a great opponent for the cranky liberal reactionary Frank Lautenberg in the New Jersey Senate race. Gov. Whitman’s message urged every Iowa Republican to participate in the Caucus to Convention process.
The Iowa Caucus is a great reminder of two foundational principles of representative democracy: you have no influence whatsoever if you don’t participate; and, compromise from the most microscopic of political unit is essential to political success because uniformity of thought is impossible in a democracy.
Former Lt. Governor Joy Corning em`ceed the event. It was very apparent that Joy and former representative Janet Metcalf have done a lot of work in organizing both the event and the Iowa RLC chapter. Former Congressmen Greg Ganske and Jim Leach both spoke. Cong. Leach was especially gracious to all of our Presidential candidates in his remarks. At the conclusion of Cong. Leach’s erudite examination of the state of American politics Joy and John Tone presented Jim with the Lincoln Lifetime Leadership award in recognition of his three decades of dignified and distinguished representation of Iowa in Congress.
State Auditor Dave Vaudt and state representatives Libby Jacobs (Clive) and Walt Tomenga (Johnston) along with Polk County supervisor E.J. Giovannetti and WDM councilman Ted Ohmart rounded out the elected officials on hand. Former senator Maggie Tinsman and Ambassador Mary Kramer, previously president of the Iowa Senate also attended (having escaped the Caribbean earthquake to arrive in time for an Iowa ice storm). Peter Cownie and Mary Tiffany were on hand from a young generation. TRS ol’ buddy Will Rogers sat with Greg Ganske-is a revival in the offing?
We enjoyed a very nice conversation with former EPA Director and New Jersey Governor Christie Todd Whitman. Gov. Whitman would make a great opponent for the cranky liberal reactionary Frank Lautenberg in the New Jersey Senate race. Gov. Whitman’s message urged every Iowa Republican to participate in the Caucus to Convention process.
The Iowa Caucus is a great reminder of two foundational principles of representative democracy: you have no influence whatsoever if you don’t participate; and, compromise from the most microscopic of political unit is essential to political success because uniformity of thought is impossible in a democracy.
19 comments:
And just about every one of those names are living, breathing examples of why I'm no longer a Republican. Kill babies? Most of the folks at that event are down with that. Special rights for folks who can't look between their legs and tell what gender they are? Yep, most of those folks are down with that, too.
Mark Klein right now is leading in all the unofficial polls in Iowa. He has Iowa and New Hampshire clearly won. I drove by Frank Stalone's campaign headquarters today as he admitted that there is no fighting the Klein onslaught. Amazing that all these candidates build organizations make phone calls and work hard only to lose to Mark Klein's Caucus machine.
Mark Klein right now is leading in all the unofficial polls in Iowa. He has Iowa and New Hampshire clearly won. I drove by Frank Stalone's campaign headquarters today as he admitted that there is no fighting the Klein onslaught. Amazing that all these candidates build organizations make phone calls and work hard only to lose to Mark Klein's Caucus machine.
Come on Deace - everyone knows you'll bend over, take it quietly, and vote for whatever Republican gets nominated.
Re above comment reflects why people like me have either left the GOP, or are just about to. Such is the case in New Hampshire where 45%of the electorate registers independent with a majority of those once Republicans.
One of TRS's bloggers called me idiotic. Most people should only be so idiotic as to become medical specialists, retire on investment income in one's 40s, raise 4 successful children, and with very little money relying on volunteers become such a political threat the Republican Party flatters me with a full court dirty tricks campaign.
Is the party at it again? Had some vandalism of my newly installed campaign signs in New Hampshire. Those belonging to the GOP's "annointed" candidates were spared.
What happened, Klein? A bird shit on one of your signs and not Romney's? Yeah, I'd say that qualifies as vandalism all right.
No..sorry Steve WON'T go and "hold his nose" and vote for a Republican candidate if they're not going stand up for the values that made our party great in the first place..
Honestly..the Forum should have been called the "Iowa Moderate Republican Leadership Council" because every name that Ted cited on this post here is a MODERATE.
Maggie Tinsman?? The pro-choicers never had a better friend in Iowa..
Christie Todd Whitman?? She couldn't get re-elected in New Jersey if her life depended on it..
Going moderate is what helped to alienate our base voter in 2006.
Great, the moderates in the state are trying to organize again?
No thanks Uncle Ted.
Steve Deace's values depends on who is paying his bills. Look folks Deace is just another uneducated boob who was given a microphone. They are full of bluster and empty of courage, intellect and answers. They are no different from the old Fibber Mcgee and Molly, jack Benny or Amos and Andy radio shows. They are actors that promote a form of fantasy, nothing more!
Then I guess you dont know Steve Deace that well...
Calling him an "uneducated boob" only shows how ignorant of an individual you are yourself.
I doubt you'd have the courage of your convictions to say that to his face...
Have done it before, Little birdie!
remember his show is all an act. it is fiction. His loyalties are for sale. He would be the first in like to welcome the infidels if there was a buck in it. he is no longer a GOPer because he saw before the election of 06 that The party of reagan is as dead as Reagan.
I never understood why the unwashed GOPers Admire people like Deace, Rush and Beck. They are just dupes spreading their lies that fox or clear channel gives to them. They can't debate face to face that is why they control the mike button.
Little Birdie, Know one knows Deace well ,you just hear his latest concoction of a dropouts life He is professor harold Hill and you my friend are just another Iowa rube who falls for his con. Do you hear that band playing, little Waxwing?
Cak.. You are a fool full of fury..signifiying nothing.
"Unwashed GOPers"..."dupes"..."whores"
Nice to see what the Democratic Party thinks of the opposition.
Its what happens to Democrats all the time.. They get in control..and then manage to throw it all away because they really think that people aren't smart enough to see what they do in office.
You guys think you are the "smartest guys in the room"..and treat everyone else like their they "unwashed" masses that need to be "taken care of"...
Its people like you Cak that energize us....that will make us go out there and make more phone calls..and take more people to the polls..and do whatever we gotta do on Election Day to win in 2008
What else would you call someone who will abandon their ideals and simply hold their nose when they mark the box? Let's see what the evangelical turnout is if Guiliani gets the nomination and I would imagine "whore" would be too kind of a word for them.
Re Anonymous comment about my New Hampshire campaign signs. Some were removed several hours after setting them up.
Part of the fun of campaigning is the expression of surprise by voters encountering a presidential hopeful they never of. Usually get a smile saying because I'm an unknown "I have to campaign the old fashioned way by meeting the voters face to face." Usually they depart engrossed in reading my brochure.
Distributed at least 5000 brochures since I started. A number of people after reading it took extras to give to family and friends.
Really a pity more ordinary folk with strong beliefs don't try for the White House. Filing with the FEC is easy and cost free. Sobering in a country of 300+ million there are only 50 or so presidential candidates on the New Hampshire ballot. If there were 250on the California ballot to replaced recalled Gov. Gray Davis, there should 1000s on New Hampshire's presidential ballot. By doing that we could break the stanglehold big money interests have on presidential politics.
My critics on this blog have no idea how interesting and fun real grassroots campaigning can be.
Dear cedar earwig
I'm not a Democrat in philosophy and have no fury towards anyone, it is just that the GOP lacks character, ethics or even a sense of morality. Look how GOP people are making Romney's religion a litmus test for nomination yet the Constitution prohibits religion as a condition for office. it isn't the DEMs that are targeting Mitt, it is his own kind.
look how Guiliani, Romney,Mc cain and the other dwarfs are trying to Out Bush each other though Bush is seen by most Americans as a total failure.
Huckabee wants to be Americas baptist minister. Oh boy another guy whose favorite philosopher is jesus. Let's not be fooled again!
The best thing in the world for the GOP is to purge the existing power structure. let Lott and Hastert try to get a job on K street. Encourage the evangelicals to establish a third party or we can grant republic status to Texas and deport all the scum sector of the party. Encourage the GOP war mongers ( young and old)to join the military and show us with their lives how to be a true patriot. We should encourage Senator vitter to reveal his inner child and we should have senators Craig, McConnell and grahm unburden themselves of their double lives along with Rove. After that it will be time to re establish the GOP to a party of sensibility as opposed to the current party where words means nothing and honor is for chumps.
all of that cak from cak is all george bushes fault.
CAK
Your analysis seems to born of the union of narcissism and nihilism, producing the self loathing that passes for intellectual chic`. Or else you are simply lying about being a Democrat-or both.
Is the Republican Party perfect? No. Did we make some mistakes, yes? Are we far better than the Dems? Yes. Does this create the only real world competition for government? Yes.
So work to change the party through reasoned discourse and by just repeating Democrat talking points.
You don't like Denny Hastert but you must love ABSCAM Jack Murtha. That is your choice. You don't like the party of Larry Craig (against whom the Republicans instigated an ethics probe)so you must love the party of Barney Frank the degenerates from Hollywood.
Choose your side carefully this time around my friend.
In other words: Our shit stinks, but not as bad as theirs.
Ted:
All the more reason we turn our backs on this "business as usual" bullshit and get behind the only true original in this race, Mark Klein, M.D., enough is enough, I agree. Mark Klein is our only salvation!
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