Gronstal to Iowa Voters – F*ck You!
Gronstal Earns a Mouth Scrubbing at Capitol Wednesday!
By swords&ploughshares
It's official, Iowa Democrats who turned out in record numbers this year to deliver the historic control of the Iowa House, Senate and Governorship to Democrats for the first time in over 30 years, can now rest safe that their leadership has abandoned them.
At today's VOICE Rally at the Capitol in Des Moines, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal stunned Iowa citizens advocating Clean Elections with his arrogance and use of obscenities.
A group of women and elderly men had gathered in the Rotunda after a peaceful rally calling for an end to the use of big money in Iowa's political campaigns, when Gronstal, who has been called "the most powerful man in Iowa politics," came strolling by.
Seizing upon the chance to speak with "the powerful one," members of the group caught his attention and began asking him where he stood on the issue.
When told of the citizen's concerns about how corporate money was impacting elections, Gronstal told them that's the way things work. When asked about the chance of Clean Election legislation reaching the floor he flatly said, "Not a chance."
Gronstal then went on a rant about how "naïve" these Iowans were, thinking that big money could be removed from Iowa elections, warning that "Republicans could just outspend us (Democrats) with a 527."
When someone in the crowd asked Gronstal about the half a million dollars that he raised during the last election cycle and doled out to Democratic candidates, he scoffed at the figure, saying, "I raised twice that much!"
Eventually some 20 citizens gathered around Gronstal, eager to hear the bill's fate during the final days of the 2007 session. What many of them heard was not only disheartening, but ultimately insulting.
Rather than listen to their reasonable concerns about the influence of money in politics, Gronstal arrogantly claimed that the votes for Clean Elections "weren't there." When a woman challenged this claim, Gronstal launched into her. "I make the decisions of what bills come to the floor…I'm the best vote counter in this building. I got 25 years of experience."
At some point, an older gentleman interrupted the Senate Majority Leader, saying, "You're nothing but a Republican in Democrat clothing."
Like a petty tyrant who has finally been called on his bad behavior the Senate Majority Leader lost it. Gronstal squared off with the older gentleman and said, "That's the lowest blow that anyone's ever dealt me. You can kiss my ass!"
Visibly shaken, Gronstal stormed off. He walked a short distance away from the group and then lifted his head up to the top of the Capitol and SHOUTED "F*ck You!" A large group of elementary school children were touring the Rotunda while this was happening.
Inappropriate behavior at the Capitol is not unusual, but somebody with the title of Senate Majority Leader should not be allowed to speak to Iowa voters in such a vulgar manner especially while young children are nearby. The office and the Senate of Iowa deserve better.
If you're appalled at Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal's behavior, contact the Iowa Senate and demand that Gronstal issue a public apology.
E-mail: michael.gronstal@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: 712-328-2808
SENATE SWITCHBOARD: (515) 281-3371
HOUSE SWITCHBOARD: (515) 281-3221
Find Your Legislator and their email address by visiting www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg
Demand a public apology. Iowans expect more from their leaders.
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Thursday, April 19
Gronstal to Iowa Voters – F*ck You!
by
Caroline Vernon
on Thu 19 Apr 2007 09:01 AM CDT
Saturday, April 7
Congress Needs Independent Watch Dog
by
Sam Garchik
on Sat 07 Apr 2007 09:05 AM CDT
Congress Needs Independent Watch Dog
By Meshawn Ayala, Iowa PIRG Citizen Outreach Director The last month must have been bleak for our leaders in congress. The ethics bill passed during the first 100 hours has drastically reduced the free trips and wining and dining our representatives have received from special interests. This week, in an attempt dismantle these new ethics rules, the minority leader of the House, Representative John Boehner, declared that they were "hopelessly broken." But we know the problem is not that there are too many rules but that there's no enforcement. Contact Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Task Force Chairman Michael Capuano now and tell that congress needs an independent watch dog. To take action, click on this link Then ask your friends and family to help by forwarding them this email. Background Former Congressmen Duke Cunningham (CA) and Robert Ney (OH) were caught trading votes for campaign contributions and other bribes. Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff landed in jail for masterminding efforts using campaign contributions to steer public funds to his pet projects. Rep William Jefferson (LA) is under investigation after the FBI found $90,000 in cash in his freezer and former Rep.Tom DeLay is still defending himself against corruption charges. Several top legislative and White House aides have already pled guilty to corruption charges and this may only be the tip of the iceberg. Scrutiny by the press and others has shown grossly inadequate rules and lax enforcement of the rules in Congress covering ethics and lobbying practices. After two years of foot-dragging, excuses and even refusals to acknowledge the problems, the new Congress in its opening session took its first critical steps in changing the way business is done in Washington. The overwhelming support (the measures passed 430 to 1) for new restrictions on lobbyist-funded trips and gifts sends a powerful message that the new Congress is taking the need for reform seriously. This is a sea-change from the ill-conceived and ineffectual bill considered and passed by the House during the scandal plagued session last year. There is more to be done and topping the list is the establishment of an independent enforcement entity Key is enforcement Jack Abramoff's fall from power cannot be credited to an aggressive House or Senate ethics enforcement process. He was turned in to the Justice Department by a competitor turned whistle-blower. After the initial details of the case came out, the House and Senate Ethics Committees sat on their hands. They initiated no probe nor asked any questions nor made any attempt to see if members had violated the rules and the public trust. The House Ethics Committee was so paralyzed they failed to even convene a meeting for most of the 109th Congress. The current system is broken. Overseeing one's own colleagues is difficult under any circumstances, but oversight in a partisan-charged environment like the U.S. Congress is, as we have now seen,impossible. This is not to say that members of Congress are any less capable than others to self-police, no one self-polices well. In the Executive Branch there is an Office of Government Ethics. Businesses have outside auditors. Congress needs independent and professional oversight and enforcement of the rules. Beyond the highly touted "first 100 hours," the 110th Congress must move to create outside, professional oversight to ensure the new rules will not be paper tigers and assure the American people that the new Congress will different from the last. The U.S. House has created an Ethics Task Force to look into the possibility of establishing an independent enforcement office with the power to launch nonpartisan investigations. Their report is due May 1st. Contact Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Task Force Chairman Michael Capuano now and tell to them that congress needs an independent watch dog. Then ask your friends and family to do the same by forwarding them this email. To take action, click on this link Sincerely, Meshawn Ayala Iowa PIRG Citizen Outreach Director MeshawnA@iowapirg.org http://www.IowaPIRG.org |
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