Posted on 09/11/2011 7:41:00 PM PDT by Free Vulcan
Timing is everything, and three Republican congressional candidates for Iowa's 2nd District agree it's past time for the current occupant of the seat to go.
Republicans in southeast Iowa are hoping to build on the party's historic gains in 2010 and turn the southeast quadrant of Iowa red in 2012.
Announced Republican congressional candidates Richard Gates of Keokuk; John Archer of Bettendorf; and Dan Dolan of Blue Grass, made their debut in Des Moines County Saturday night, speaking at the annual Des Moines County Republican steak fry fundraiser.
"We've got to stop this type of politics where our elected officials take it upon themselves to violate the law of the land, which is the U.S. Constitution," Gates said to the crowd of 150 at Saturday's event at the Port of Burlington, adding he swore to uphold the Constitution as a member of the U.S. Army and Air Force.
Gates recalled the 2009 town hall meeting led by 2nd District Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack on health care reform, where the congressman acknowledged there was nothing explicit in the Constitution that gave Congress the authority to enact the Affordable Care Act. Gates questioned Loebsack's patriotism and allegiance to the Constitution, if he was willing to ignore it on the issue of health care reform.
Archer said, however, it will be difficult to beat the three-term incumbent in a district that still has more Democratic voters than Republican ones.
The candidates were limited to about three to five minutes in their speeches, so they did not have much time to distinguish themselves on their platform particulars.
The three all focused on reducing burdensome regulations, especially Dolan who runs a home construction business and pointed to a growing list of requirements before buildings can be erected.
Gates said if elected he would support the Fair Tax Act, which would end the Internal Revenue Service and income taxes and instead implement a national sales tax. He said that would replace 70,000 pages of federal tax code with a 137-page document.
The candidates also made reducing government spending a priority.
Archer, who is an attorney for John Deere, said as a fiscal conservative, he also would look at helping businesses be more competitive globally by getting government off of its back and reducing the corporate tax rate to zero.
"From a fiscal perspective, what we need to do to win the future, is we have to create jobs. The unemployment rate in Des Moines County last I looked was over 7 percent. That's unacceptable," Archer said.
Dolan, who is making his first bid for public office, said he was uniquely qualified to hold this position because he's been able to create construction jobs and grow his business throughout the recession.
"Why I want to serve and be the voice of over 600,000 Iowans is to ensure our children and grandchildren get a shot at the American dream," Dolan said.
Both Dolan and Archer said they were pro-life, with Archer adding he's pro-marriage, which is between a man and a woman, and pro-family.
The filing period for the June 5, 2012, primary for state and federal candidates begins on Feb. 27.
Shaping up to be a good race. We gained some more GOP counties so this is now competitive and on the national radar. We need to get the commie LoebsHack out of there.
looks like a 2 man race. Archer and Dolan. Wish either of them had the spirit of Dr. Miller-Meeks...
I really like Dan. Genuine guy. Yeah Mariannette is a once-in-a-generation kind of candidate.
Really hope no one else jumps in this race.
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