Every race matters

New York Gov. George E. Pataki, the nation's longest serving governor, was in action in Iowa this week, as was former Speaker Newt Gingrich. Both men reminded me of two things.

First, we are by far the party of accomplishments and ideas. We need to take reality to the Democrats and defeat their proganda machine. The world isn't perfect, and neither are we, but Republicans measure success by policy and results. The Democrats lack both.

Second, and even more important, is every race counts. We should have known this from the importance of the Floridians decision in '98 to elect a Republican Secretary of State. Gov. Pataki reminded an audience in Newton-where Tim Morgan our challenger in SD 21 put on a great perfromance to a house party of 60 or so people-that the Justices he nominated to the New York Supreme Court blocked recognition of special marriage rights for homosexuals in the New York courts. Having control of Terrace Hill takes on a whole new importance when viewed in that light.

The broken record.

I had the opportunity to debate Jerry Crawford, noted long time Democrat spokesman, on the WHO-TV program "The Insiders" Friday. Jerry is good, very good but his arguments, however forcefully made and repeated, demonstrate the absurd disconnection between reality and the usual Democrat line.

For example, Dems are now claiming CIETC is a Republican scandal because Ramona Cunningham got her first bonus in late 98. Of course, the facts that it was still a group of largely Polk County Dems who provided the bonus and the reports that would disclose the bonus weren't completed during the Branstad administration disclose the utter absurdity of that argument.

Or, Deb Desert's husband-Democrat Steve Bargman-received the outrageous bonuses so, naturally, Deb would have known the bonuses to be of questionable or illegal sources or bookkeeping, and hence CIETC is a Republican scandal. I've covered this before so I'll just ask the readers to ask themselves if they would volunteer such shenanigans to their spouse or maybe just say"Honey-I'm getting a hell of a bonus this year". Twenty years of lawyering leads to the latter conclusion. What do you think?

Dems claim Ako is beyond reproach, even with the public learning of the bottomless siphon of public money that is Creative Visions because, well, he's black. Outright race baiting pure and simple. Ako's race and skin color are irrelevant to the deep pocket scams he's running. This is a run to the ugliest politics of all. Kind of like the NAACP comparing opposition to hate crimes laws, that punish thought, with support for lynching/dragging murder. If racism is as bad as liberals say it is I wonder how we Republicans should respond to the endless charges of racism anytime we criticize an African-American Democrat?

Even more silly is claiming the factual criticisms that we've directed at the Polk County Democrat Machine is an ethnic slur at people of Italian descent. That means that "Boss Hogg" John Mauro's involvement in the Polk County corruption places those other real Italian sounding characterers Brooks (Nathan and Archie), Vlasis (like I'm not Greek), Hockensmith, Connolly, and Albritton is a 19th Century style ethnic slur. I'm pretty sure that Republican State Senator and Congressional candidate Jeff Lamberti and Republican Polk County Supervisor E.J. Giovannetti would be surprised to learn that CIETC is really code for anti-Italiansim.

In short, we know this strategy of denial, distortion and division. We saw this divisive propoganda for eight years of the Clinton Administration. This time, in Central Iowa anyway, we're calling them out on it!

SWEEP OUT THE COURTHOUSE-VOTE REPUBLICAN

Back to the future.

Part 1

The Dems attempts to portray CIETC as either non partisan, or obviated by Archie's hara-kiri, are like Gerald Ford saying the pardon closed Watergate on us. Sorry guys, been there, seen that and boy is that whistling past the grave yard. Believe, that gave the world Jimmy Carter, the most repudiated President in American history.

All that anyone need do is follow the money. Don't dig around looking trying to find a Republican who worked for a Democrat, just look at who got the money. The money went and continues to go to Democrats, just that simple.

Part 2

Ned Lamot's campaign theme song is "America's Calling George McGovern". Can you believe it? The Democrats have revealed themselves. After 15 years of Bill Clinton's attempts to moderate the lunatic left the Neville Chamberlain weak appeasment have get the blue, red and yellow ribbons at the top of the Democrat "regime".

Their national chair is Howard Dean. To the extent he stands for anything, John Kerry is far left, and only seemed moderate compared to Howard Dean. Their rising star, Ned Lamont is to the left of Dean and Kerry.

Nixon won 48 states. Only Watergate felled him. Now I think that we know why the Democrats hunger for scandal, its the only road to the top for the lunatic fringe that has overtaken the party of Roosevelt, Truman and Kennedy.

Dennis Black Gets Desperate

Short post tonight. Intelligence sources out of Jasper County report that Dennis Black is now using Senate stationery in his campaign

This is another hit on Sen. Black's sinking credibility. First, his 21 years of throwing money at the Maytag unions produced economic ruin for Jasper County. Second, his aggressive opposition to Polk County economic development backfired when his district got redrawn and he was forced to run in Des Moines growing east side suburbs. Then he suspends open public events and ducks Tim Morgan in debates.

If he's using Senate letterhead in a campaign he must be desperate. Go get 'em Tim!

Musicians Wanted

Part 1

Archie Brooks’ resignation from the Des Moines City Council has to be the most frightening event in the last half century in Polk County politics. Today Archie said “The CIETC thing keeps going but in the last weeks it's started to show that I'm not the only guy" in the spotlight, Brooks said. "I'm not going to take the fall for a lot of people at the state they are trying to protect." In light of that bone chilling statement, the music that Archie could sing would make quite an album (CDs to you youngsters). As the Beatles proved with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” in 1967-a story album works.

Track 1 – Working Class Hero (John Lennon). The story line here is about Des Moines labor boss, CIETC Board member, and Prairie Meadows Board member Dan Albritton,- who most recently delivered a $450,000 bonanza to his unions, courtesy of John Mauro, Tom Hockensmith and Angela Connolly. “Theres room at the top they are telling you still…If you want to be like the folks on the hill. A working class hero is something to be…”

Dan and Archie could sing a duet chorus while living La Dolce Vita on the boat of the same name they shared with Ramona Cunningham.

Track 2 - We are Family (Sly and the Family Stone). The second line of the refrain says it all-“I got all my family with me.” How many hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonuses and raises for friends and family?

Track 3 – Shaft (Isaac Hayes). “Who is the man with the [payoff] in his hand, Ako, Ako Samad”.

Track 4 – On the Road Again” (Waylon & Willie). A country homage to the many vacations purchased with tax dollars courtesy of that Tom Vlassis acquired $25K credit limit MasterCard for Ramona courtesy of CIETC. “Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway. We're the best of friends; Insisting that the world be turnin' our way.” Can’t you just the see the happy smiles as that credit card got signed-while partying with their friends Tom Hockensmith, Angela Connolly and John Mauro.

Track 5 – Angie (Rolling Stones). A tortured plea for Angela Connolly, who most recently helped orchestrate the ouster of long time Recorder Tim Brien for the offense of not hiring her brother. Pity poor Angie when she had to tell her brother “At least you can’t say we never tri-ied”.

I’m looking for suggestions as to some other numbers Archie (“Sugar”-that one dates me) Brooks could use to finish off an 8 – 10 track story album. Reader’s suggestions are welcome. Burton Rider and Maverick this means you and any other musicians need to put on your creative hats and help complete this album.

Part 2

Some of you may have noticed a recent upsurge in support for Dr. Mark Klein on the presidential preference poll. It turns out that the Klein votes weren’t a crank Democrat attempt to squirrel the poll but a reflection of a small groundswell of support for that candidate’s position on the importance of fathers in the lives of our children. The Iowa based “Children Need Both Parents” group found the Real Sporer and expressed their support for Dr. Klein.

Perhaps this otherwise anomalous voting pattern points to an overlooked issue in our conservative “family first” message. In a society that is altogether too atomized we need to ensure that fathers are more than ATMs in broken and blended families. The Democrat approach has been to focus on child support collection as the only contribution that Dads make-but where is our answer? Food for thought, eh? Maybe some Republican candidates will start talking about the very real non financial problems faced by broken and blended families.

But these Iowa political polls get watched in Washington. Dr. Klein has no chance of securing our nomination. If viewed from the prism of our first in the nation status we felt that resetting the poll would prevent national figures from trivializing the issue of fathers as a statistical quirk of a local blog poll.

Reflections on Dows in August

Last night we had the opportunity to travel up to Dows for the "Tribute To Stu" Iverson event. Stu recently completed his final term as State Senate Majority leader and is retiring from the Senate.

Another good turn out for Republicans. Leon Mosley (our State CoChair) took time from his own re-election campaign in Black Hawk County to be at Dows. Steve Roberts, National Committeeman and Bonnie Hall (4th District) were in attendance from the State Central Committee (in addition to me-3rd Districts.). Bill Northey, our Secretary of Agriculutre nominee sat at the head table, looking tanned from the campaign trail. Several legislators, current legislative candidates, former legislators, and former party officials were scattered throughout the audience-another good sign.

Gov. Pataki was grounded by extreme weather in South Carolina. The Governor called in and presented Stu with an American flag that had flown over Ground Zero. Jo Ellen Hill (Sporer's Hot Spouse) did the presentation on behalf of the 21st Century Freedom PAC as it's State CoChair.

Attendance was way over 100. It was great to see such a good turnout in the middle of fair and vacation season. The Republicans in the room seemed pretty enthusiasatic, although many wondered why we aren't pushing back against the constant stream of Democrat attacks. A very sweet older Republican woman asked me why we "back down from those devils".

Leon was a big hit, as always.

The lack of controversy is a great sign that we are unifying for November. Big thanks to the Tri-County Republicans for putting together the event and providing Republicans in their neighborhood the chance to come together and fire up, so to speak. But, as Gov. Pataki's 21st Century Freedom PAC Iowa State Chairman I don't think that Stu has closed his public career-and that's a good thing.