Steve King
Hey Reince: Matt Schultz Ain’t Listening
Reince Preibus wants to start a love affair with all those people who rejected him and his friends in 2012. That is to say that he and the Republican party want to make up with people like the African American community, Latinos, women, gays and all those other people who just said “NO” to the Republicans last election. So Reince has extended his hand. He wants to be your buddy.
But whoa! what is this. While Reince says please join us, Matt Schultz, Iowa’s Secretary of State in training, continues on his Republican approved campaign to make sure that Iowa voters have the right kind of last name. His new rules were supposed to go into effect on March 13th, but he has been so quiet about it that even the press never heard. Maybe out of respect for Reince, Mr. Shultz just decided not to say a thing. It can be a Surprise! next election. Rumor has it that his rules are aimed at those Latinos that Reince wants to cozy up to. Maybe Reince should cozy up to Secretary Schultz and let him know the Party is changing direction.
Steve King Only A 3 Seed
Boy, the competition is tough over at Dailykos in their “Republican March to Madness” tourney. King is in the teabagger division facing Matt Kibbe in the first round. Remember Kibbe is the one who took down Dick Armey in real life. Going to be tough for King. Not sure if his hate of all things not white and male can carry the day with that bunch.
If you want to vote, you will need to sign on to Kos daily @ noon to catch that day’s matches.
Education Deform
There is a name that makes sense for the ALEC led, slow change over from public schools to charter schools run by private companies and paid for by the public. Imagine attending Walmart Grade School or Pepsi High. As Republicans keep defunding our schools and then blame the resulting mess on the teachers we will be seeing more and more call for “charter” schools as the fix. And the first thing they will do is bust unions and the second will be to demand more money. It’s already happening, folks.
Quotes for the week:
“50 yrs ago today Dick Cheney had his 1st deferment to avoid a war in Vietnam. That he supported. Happy Anniversary…Dick.” John Fugelsang
“I did express my regret in saying that he was a numbnuts because I didn’t — I probably shouldn’t have used the word ‘numb’, ” Gohmert said. “That was probably unfair.” Louie Gohmert apologizing for calling John McCain ‘numbnuts.’
Tags: reince preibus | 
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Let’s Just Put The Whole Budget Under The Pentagon
If there is one thing that is for sure in this country, it is that it is difficult to put each and everything into an exact pigeon hole. There is often a bits and pieces of something that maybe doesn’t fit in the hole selected. Maybe a portion of it belongs in another hole. Conversely, some of the holes we put stuff into have had their scope increased to accommodate what material is placed in a given pigeon hole.
In such a vein, on an elevator at corporate HQ one day I heard one young up-and-comer tell another that “I didn’t hit my targets this quarter.” “What’re you going to do?” his friend asked. “Best I can think of is to expand my targets so my results fit in them.” was the response. I almost broke out laughing, but to be honest it was a solution that might be able to fool some folks.
In a slight twist on that line of thinking – in my life I have seen politicians easily find money for war and weapons at the same time they claim they can’t afford a band aid for Tommy’s cut finger at the local elementary. We found what? – $2 Tr for wars and $3 Tr for tax cuts at the same time but we have had to close schools and fire teachers and police and fire fighters. So it seems that the only mouth at trough that gets fed is the one with “PENTAGON” taped to it.
Well, it seems that the obvious solution is to expand what the “PENTAGON” sign covers. Like maybe it would be good if our recruits could speak to each other, maybe ad 2 + 2, maybe be able to extract a lesson from what they read. Maybe K – 12 money ought to be put in under the “PENTAGON” for future soldiers.
While we are at it – how about throwing some health care for kids in there? For the future soldiers you know. Maybe we could sneak in a little food aid in there too? You know, kids can’t fight if they die before they are 18. You know when the target gets expanded it can be amazing what fits. Shoot, we could probably even fit in a lot of highway an infrastructure rebuilding that the country needs so desperately. Just put it under “PENTAGON.”
Raping The Post Office
Well, it looks like the republicans are about ready to raise another big scalp in their quest to dismantle the government. Probably one of the most efficient government offices ever, an office that withstood redcoats, Indians, two World Wars and the internet are about to lose out to Republicans. The reason? No it is not the internet as NPR keeps reporting, nor is it inefficiency. No it is simply impossible rules placed on them by Republican run congresses in the 2000s. The rules can’t be changed because of the totally hosed filibuster rules and the recently gerrymandered House of Representatives.
And the bottom line is to bust the unions. Congratulations, Republicans, you are saving your concept of America by destroying America. But remember one thing, rural Americans love their town post offices and when those doors start shutting, votes will be leaving your party.
Even Karl Hates King
Gee, can’t hate spewing tea partier even get a break from his own buddies. Steve King must have felt like the luckiest little boy in Western Iowa last week when Tom Harkin announced he was stepping down. Then reality hit. First a poll saying that as of now he would lose to his own shadow if the senate race were run today. Then King Karl Rove announced he would actually attempt to stop tea partiers (he didn’t mention King by name) from running for the Senate. Well, here’s betting The King of Western Iowa will stay in his hidey hole for 2014. Can’t a guy get any love???
Loebsack Town Hall
If you are as outraged at the current safety concerns in this country with the nearly unrestricted use of guns, I believe you will want to be on the Loebsack telephone town hall Wednesday night. Instructions for getting connected are here:
Contact The FCC For Nationwide WI-FI.
Trish Nelson posted this very important story on the possibility of the FCC pushing for a national WI-FI network. The United States is far behind much of the rest of the industrialized world in internet capabilities. This is a sorely needed upgrade. Please contact the FCC as suggested here:
Tags: Karl Rove, post office, WI-FI network | No Comments »
Feed Iowa Families. Pass the Farm Bill.
The evidence is everywhere, in bone-dry fields across the state–Steve King has failed Iowa farmers.
Worse yet, he’s proud of the reason he has failed to deliver a farm bill that provides desperately needed drought relief. He believes it’s more important to demand a farm bill that ruthlessly cuts $16 billion from nutrition programs — programs that some Iowa families depend on — than to pass the farm bill that Iowa needs.
It would be terrible enough for King to completely fail to deliver a farm bill and desperately needed relief, knowing he has had months upon months to work out the details before the September 30th deadline. But to have failed because of his stubborn demand that food be taken from Iowa kids? That’s unconscionable.
The current farm bill will expire very soon with nothing to replace it. We can’t wait until after Election Day to take action.
The petition text reads as follows:
“Congressman King, Iowans urgently need you to pass a farm bill based on Iowa values. It’s time to stop playing games with drought relief for Iowa farmers. top demanding to cut $16 billion that helps feed Iowa families and pass a farm bill now.”
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Steve King Attempts To Keep Birther Movement Alive
We won’t even ask the question. The answer is no, there is no limit to GOP right-winger stupidity. Did you hear what Steve King said last week? Now, according to District 4′s representative in the U.S. Congress, the birth announcement of the President in the Honolulu newspapers could have been telegraphed from Kenya (all part of the socialist plot to make sure the infant ended up in the White House half a century later). Just to show how reality based he is though, King acknowledges the unlikelihood of getting this idea to fly before November.
“We went down into the Library of Congress and we found a microfiche there of two newspapers in Hawaii each of which had published the birth of Barack Obama. It would have been awfully hard to fraudulently file the birth notice of Barack Obama being born in Hawaii and get that into our public libraries and that microfiche they keep of all the newspapers published. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some other explanations on how they might’ve announced that by telegram from Kenya. The list goes on. But drilling into that now, even if we could get a definitive answer and even if it turned out that Barack Obama was conclusively not born in America, I don’t think we could get that case sold between now and November.”
Take Down Steve King Campaign Events This Week
From the Take Down King website:
Thousands of calls, hundreds of flyers, dozens of sign-ups, and multiple cities organized in just a few weeks?
That’s the power of everyday people like you getting together and fighting back with Women Against King.
When we talked with voters and recruited new volunteers at Clear Lake’s Independence Day parade, we knew it wasn’t just the hot weather making Steve King sweat as he marched past.
King knows we’re gaining momentum throughout the district, and he’s feeling the heat.
Volunteer Appreciation Night
Tuesday, July 24, 2012 at 06:45 PM
Take Down King Campaign Headquarters in Ames, IA
We Love Our Volunteers!
People like you have really thrown a monkey-wrench into King’s campaign to add a 5th term in congress to his resume. You’ve knocked on doors, made thousands of call
Extending throughout the 39 counties of the new 4th District, the Take Down King campaign is pleased to announce it’s first campaign kick-off event in Mason City. Please join us at Pizza Ranch where we’ll talk about our campaign to defeat Steve King and the many ways we can work together to create a better future for everyone in this district. This is a family friendly event and children are most welcome
Mason City Campaign Kick-off
Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at 06:00 PM
Pizza Ranch in Mason City, IA
Inside Job
Monday, July 30, 2012 at 06:00 PM
Ames Public Library (Main Auditorium) in Ames
“The first film to expose the shocking truth behind the economic collapse of 2008. The global financial meltdown, at a cost of over $20 trillion, resulted in millions of people losing their homes and jobs. Through extensive research and interviews with major financial insiders, politicians, and journalists, INSIDE JOB traces the rise of a rogue industry and unveils the corrosive relationships which have corrupted politics, regulation, and academia.”
As a champion of financial de-regulation, Congressman Steve King bears some responsibility for the 2008 financial collapse our nation still struggles to recover from. Well-funded by Wall Street and corporate friends, King repeatedly voted against tighter oversight of Wall Street which could prevent the Crime of the Century from being committed again with impunity.
Immigrants, King insists, must obey the letter of the law while criminals in pin-striped suits walk free. He even wants to create a national holiday for “victims of immigrant violence” yet wouldn’t vote for the Dodd-Frank Legislation aimed at curbing criminal financial abuse. King has even tried to privatize Social Security, which could have resulted in a windfall of over $275 million in fees to his Wall Street friends.
We are showing the Oscar-winning documentary “Inside Job” to help people fully understand the financial collapse of 2008 and learn how King could have helped prevent it. His refusal to hold rich and powerful criminals accountable proves, yet again, how he fails to reflect Iowa values and is unfit to represent us.
(Click here for more information)
A Bad Day In America Again
Mark this up as a day when I want to get in my car and drive far, far away. Today’s news is not good. More mass shootings, this time in an Aurora, Colorado theater.
A woman at a Romney event calls the President a “monster” and Mitt Romney chuckles and does not condemn the remark. Matt Schultz, Iowa’s Secretary of State gets access to some Homeland Security database and vows to clean up the voting rolls.
Rush Limbaugh spends another week ginning up hate for all things that he considers “left wing.” At the same time, Iowa’s crops burn up in unprecedented heat and drought with little relief in sight.
Michelle Bachmann tries to stir up hate and suspicion of a member of Hillary Clinton’s staff. On a good note, John McCain finally finds his reasonable voice once more and call Bachmann out for this. But Iowa’s own Steve King once more pushes his hate and bigotry against humans he disagrees with by sponsoring a ban on gay marriage in the military.
While the world burns, the Koch brothers and their corporate henchmen get ready to give their state legislative underlings their marching orders next week in Salt Lake City, Utah for the next legislative session. Republican state legislators, at least in Iowa, all belong to ALEC. Any pretense that they are working for Iowa was gone long ago. Yet the media does not report on it, so most Iowans have no idea of ALEC. Considering that radio and TV is owned almost solely by the right wing in Iowa you can bet Iowans may never hear of ALEC.
It seems like we are literally on a precipice. We have been driven to this precipice by decades of hate radio and one party which trades only on hate and fear and refuses to govern. Rather than ever look for workable solutions, they exacerbate the problems by creating crises out of nothing. Remember last year’s so called ‘debt crisis?’ How about an unemployment problem that could be solved with cooperation and a national resolve. But Republicans refuse to cooperate on anything, thus playing god with the life of millions of Americans.
As the world burns, Republicans refuse to accept science on this issue, thus blocking any actions that could alleviate the problem. They are more than willing to leave a world of starvation and thirst to our children and grandchildren to win a political victory today.
It often feels like America’s two and a half century experiment with self-government is coming to a head. When half the population refuses to join in it is hard to have governance. And at the top we have those who have accumulated untold wealth refusing to pay the taxes that fund the governing of this country. The wealth that the Walton heirs alone have accumulated is equal to that of the lowest 40% of Americans. This is the kind of wealth distribution that banana republics have. Like many banana republics, we have one of the wealthy class running to secure that either nothing will change or it will get worse for the poor.
Lot of things going through my mind today. We will be at the Democrats fair booth today. Fairs are no longer the places they used to be. The heat keeps many people away. With most households barely making it on 2 incomes, many find fairs to be a luxury they can’t afford.
Well I will end on a high note – scientists feel they have at least proven that the Higgs Boson exists. This may usher in a new era of scientific inquiry in the vein of the space age. What this discovery will mean is hard to guess, but it is at least a major step forward. And we need to fund more, much more pure research.
Tags: Higgs boson, scientific research, walton wealth | No Comments »
Steve King: The Rest Of The State Knows Better
Excellent article today in the Iowa State Daily. The author is sounding the alarm about the possibility of having Steve King represent Ames in Congress. You can read the entire article here.
By Jacob Witte
iowastatedaily.com/opinion/
Thanks to this redistricting, there is a new face that may be representing Ames. His name is Steve King, and he should scare the living daylights out of you.
In a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference over the weekend, King began his speech saying how, because of the new compact fluorescent lightbulbs, Americans are losing their liberty. He then went on to call the janitors of the Capitol grounds that change out incandescent bulbs for the new CFL bulbs and, I quote, “Nancy’s [Pelosi] Stasi troops.”
The Stasi, or Ministry for State Security as King is speaking of here, was one of the most repressive secret police agencies in the world. They were responsible for the arrests of upwards of 200,000 East Germans during the occupation, killing untold amounts of them, mostly for political reasons. This, King tells us, is being reincarnated in the form of the janitors who change the lightbulbs.
So while King is railing away, telling fellow conservatives how they are losing their liberty because incandescent lightbulbs are on their way out (a bill signed, mind you, during the Bush administration), King quietly voted last February to extend the most controversial provisions of the Patriot Act, including warrantless wiretapping and surveillance.
Comparing something so trivial as purchasing lightbulbs to actively supporting being illegally spied upon by your own government is perhaps the worst form of hypocrisy that comes to my mind.
King has been quoted saying that racial profiling “has always been an important component of legitimate law enforcement.” He also said in 2008 that if President Barack Obama were to be elected president, radical Islamists and al-Qaida “will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on Sept. 11 because they will declare victory in this War on Terror.”
King also voted against a $52 billion aid package for victims of Hurricane Katrina. He joined 11 (out of 435, remember) in voting this down, citing the need for “fiscal responsibility.”
He once compared immigrants to cattle by having an electrified fence that would “discourage” them from entering the country.
This election, King will be running against Christie Vilsack, the wife of former Iowa Gov. and current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. In the 2010 campaign, King neglected his opponent, Matthew Campbell, choosing not to debate him, and won in a landslide. It is unlikely that this same method will work in this campaign, as King will have to win a much larger portion of the electorate.
Politicians like King, whose rhetorical style relies heavily on closed-mindedness and a general lack of historical knowledge, may work well in the rolling hills of rural western Iowa, the stomping grounds of fellow ultraconservative Bob Vander Plaats, but the rest of the state knows better.
(click here to read the entire article @ iowastatedaily.com)
Tags: Ames, Christie Vilsack, ISU, redistricting, Steve King | No Comments »
Will Steve King Continue Opposing Flood Relief For Western Iowa?
A note from Christe Vilsack:
christievilsackforiowa.com/take-action-tell-rep-king-vote-way-he-talks
Take Action | Tell Rep. King to Do the Right Thing for Iowa
When a neighbor is hurting because of a tragedy outside of their control, Iowans don’t stop and ask them to pay before offering a much-needed hand. We do as much as we can to help them get back on their feet. That’s the Iowa way and that’s the attitude we should take toward our fellow-citizens suffering from natural disasters like the Missouri River flooding.
Last week, Rep. Steve King chose to play politics and hold flood relief assistance hostage. And he’s threatened to continue opposing disaster relief to serve his political agenda in Washington.
Farmers and residents of the Western Iowa counties affected by the flooding can’t afford that. They shouldn’t have to wonder whether their support will be tied up in Congressional gridlock and partisan gamesmanship.
There’s no time to wait. The House needs to act swiftly and support the bipartisan compromise to ensure that flood relief funds make it to those affected as soon as the waters recede.
Sincerely,
Christie
P.S. Once you take action, please help spread the word.
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