Free Republic

It's the story of a nine-year-old campaign endorsement, a vote on the Senate floor and a long-term political friendship between an Iowa Republican and a Nebraska Democrat. Clashes over the Senate health care bill apparently have no bounds. In Iowa, governor hopeful Bob Vander Plaats criticized former Gov. Terry Branstad, a fellow Republican, on Monday for endorsing Nebraska Democrat Ben Nelson in his 2000 campaign for the U.S. Senate.

CEDAR RAPIDS — Drivers of hybrid, alternative-fuel or zero-emission vehicles will get the best parking spots in the city’s Fourth Avenue and Third Avenue parking ramps. The preferential treatment to encourage the use of energy-efficient vehicles likely will be adopted for other downtown parking ramps as well . . . go to: http://gazetteonline.com/top-story/2009/11/22/efficient-cars-will-get-best-parking-in-c-r-parking-ramps

Overall, the Register poll seems to be nothing but good news for Mike Huckabee. But that is not the case, because of Palin's numbers....

A new poll shows 68 percent of Republicans in Iowa hold a favorable view of Sarah Palin. That is only two percent lower than 2008 Iowa Caucus winner Mike Huckabee. The Des Moines Register poll proves that Palin would be the decisive factor in the 2012 Caucus, if she runs.

Party leaders who spoke at a weekend fundraising banquet urged Iowa Democrats to “stand up” against Republicans and “stick with” the president. Congressman Bruce Braley of Waterloo was among the first to speak at the Iowa Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner on Saturday night.“It’s not acceptable for Democrats to be walking around looking glum because now is not the time for doubt. Now is not the time for fear,” Braley began.  “And now is not the time for silence.” Braley brought the crowd of Iowa Democrats to its feet by the end of his six-minute speech.“I want, as she sits in her...

Teen Sex Magazine to Stay on Shelves at Iowa Library Sunday, November 22, 2009 AMES, Iowa — A teen sex magazine will stay on the shelves at the Ames Public Library despite a petition signed by more than 100 parents objecting to the publication. The Ames Library Board voted 6-1 to support library Director Art Weeks' recommendation to keep the magazine Sex, Ect., in the teen section. The magazine is written by and for teens under the oversight of Answer, a national sexuality organization at Rutgers University. It addresses teen sexuality issues, substance abuse and eating disorders.

The state that propelled Barack Obama to the presidency now has a majority of voters displeased with his performance. A new Des Moines Register poll shows Barack Obama's overall job approval sinking....

Obama’s overall job approval slipped to 49 percent from 53percent in September. Iowans’ approval is down 19 percentage points since an Iowa Poll in January, about the time he was inaugurated. A majority of Iowans now say the Democrat’s performance in key economic areas is inadequate, including health care, his top domestic priority… Fifty-five percent of Iowans disapprove of how Obama is handling health care, up from not quite half in September.

A popular Iowa State Senator and and a former Iowa State University wrestling coach could pose significant challenges to Democrat Leonard Boswell's Third District Congressional seat.

A Minnesota activist who refused to testify earlier this week before a federal grand jury in Davenport is now charged with conspiracy for an act of “animal enterprise terrorism” — believed to be a 2004 animal-rights vandalism act at the University of Iowa. Scott DeMuth, 22, made his initial appearance this morning on a charge of conspiracy. DeMuth was already in custody for contempt of court because of his refusal to testify. Fellow activist Carrie Feldman, who at one time dated DeMuth, also refused to testify and is in custody. “Scott Ryan DeMuth did knowingly and intentionally conspire with persons...

If you wondered where some of the "grassroots" money that was donated to leftists in recent elections actually came from, here is one answer. Phyllis Stevens has been in Iowa news lately for having embezzled millions from her employer, an insurance company. The money she embezzled went to leftist politicians and activist organizations. Although her partner is only now being indicted, the story goes back a few weeks. This is some of the power and a couple of the people behind the left. They took the money of hard working people. Phyllis Stevens was praised by many when she was...

<p>Contact your Senators and let them know what you think!</p> <p>U.S. veterans or subsidies for United Nations (U.N.) bureaucracy.</p>

War On Terror: Sen. Dick Durbin calls a plan to transfer 100 Guantanamo detainees to northwest Illinois "a dream come true." It would paint a bull's-eye on America's heartland in time for the 2012 Iowa caucuses. It seems the question of where to put the Guantanamo detainees is being settled as we speak, with liberal Democrats in the very blue state of Illinois welcoming them with open arms and outstretched hands for the federal dollars that will come with them. Federal officials last Friday inspected the Thomson Correctional Center in Thomson, Ill., a town of 500 on the Iowa border,...

Just over half of Americans believe healthcare reform would do more harm than good and disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president, according to a University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll released today. The national poll showed that 52 percent of Americans disapprove of Obama's performance, while 48 percent approve. When asked about healthcare reform, 52 percent said government action would do more harm than good, and the remaining 48 percent supported change. Conducted Oct. 23-31, the phone survey included 772 respondents with a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percent. Topline results and sample characteristics...

Iowa's two Republican Congressmen, Steve King and Tom Latham, are fighting against an Obama administration proposal to transfer the Guantanamo Bay terrorist prison to the Iowa-Illinois border. But Democrat Bruce Braley supports the plan and believes Club Gitmo Midwest could have a "substantial economic impact" on the area.

n Barack Obama's Fantasyland, all things are possible. The economy has been rescued, millions of jobs have been created or saved, and countries that used to hate us now want to hold our hands and sing "Kumbaya". Obama's Gandalf-like wizardry has even managed to magically create eight new congressional districts in Iowa.

Two political activists from Minneapolis were jailed today for refusing to answer questions before a federal grand jury apparently investigating a five-year-old animal-rights vandalism incident. The activists, Carrie Feldman and Scott DeMuth, were found in contempt of court by U.S. District Judge John Jarvey and placed in custody of the U.S. Marshall's Service. The district court clerk's office confirmed what occurred in the Davenport, Iowa, courtroom, but the U.S. Attorney's office didn't immediately return a call seeking comment. The subject of grand jury deliberations are generally secret, but the organization backing Feldman and DeMuth said they were wanted for questioning...

A new Des Moines Register poll is great news for Iowa Senator Charles Grassley, as well as GOP gubernatorial hopefuls Terry Branstad and Bob Vander Plaats. It is very bad news for Iowa's current Governor.

King is trying to prevent the transfer of Guantanamo Bay terrorists to a prison near the Iowa-Illinois border. He has asked 1st District Congressman Bruce Braley, whose district is closest to the prison, to join his efforts.

CEDAR RAPIDS - 50 weeks from the 2010 Election for Governor, a poll released on Sunday by Des Moines Register puts former Governor Branstad with a large lead in a potential election with Governor Chet Culver. Aside from a handful of television ads, many people in Eastern Iowa are not fully engulfed in the middle of a political campaign quite yet. That will change in the next year as the election season gets closer. The race for Iowa's governor has become more interesting since Terry Branstad, who served as governor from 1983 to 1999, expressed he wanted to run against...

One hundred of the worst terrorists in the world are coming to Barack Obama's two favorite states, Illinois and Iowa. Obama is from Illinois. His victory in the 2008 Iowa Caucuses provided Obama the springboard to the Presidency. How will he reward those states?

A FUNNY thing happened in Ida Grove, Iowa, last Saturday. Funny and a bit sad. Steve King missed his son's wedding. The weather was perfect. The traffic was light. Steve really loves his son, Mick, and has no problem with his new wife, Stephanie. He wanted to be there and could have been, but instead he was in Washington voting against a healthcare reform bill in the House of Representatives. Despite his vote, the bill passed. What was King thinking? Did he miss the most important day in his son's life because he believes the Democrats are wrong to try...

A near-empty prison in rural Illinois has emerged as "a leading option" to house suspected terrorists currently held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, an Obama administration official said Friday. PHOTOS As they work to shutter the controversial detention center, federal officials are talking to Illinois officials about buying the Thomson Correctional Center, a maximum-security prison about 150 miles west of Chicago. With Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn and other key officials warm to the idea of a federal purchase of the prison, federal officials have stepped up investigations into turning Thomson into a super-maximum facility with a unit for former Guantanamo detainees....

Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul built a nationwide army of fiercely loyal, enthusiastic, young supporters during his 2008 Presidential run. It appears Paul is hoping to expand upon that base and possibly gear up for another run in 2012. Paul visits Ames tonight for speech at Iowa State University....

Linn County Sheriff Brian Gardner said he’s not worried about the sharp increase in the number of residents licensed to carry concealed weapons. The training program required of all applicants, with its emphasis on the law and the potential liabilities associated with misuse of firearms, balances safety standards and the right to bear arms, Gardner said. The number of concealed-weapons permits issued in Linn County has exploded this year, said Bob Godlove, chief instructor of the four-hour mandatory course. During the first three months of last year, when Don Zeller was sheriff, Linn County issued just 24 concealed-weapons permits. During...

owa 5th District Congressman Steve King is an extremely rare politician. He tells you exactly what he thinks and how he feels, consequences be damned. Today, King made it very clear how he feels about the Obama administration.

WASHINGTON, D.C. --- When it came down to a choice between attending his son's wedding and staying in Washington to vote against health care reform Saturday, Steve King knew what he had to do. He skipped the wedding. Health care reform passed the House of Representatives anyway, 220-215, but King, Iowa 5th District congressman, said Monday he doesn't regret his decision. The Republican had been battling HR3962, pushed by the Democratic majority in Congress, for months. He'd known about his son Mick's plans to wed Stephanie Bettin on Nov. 7 for months, as well. On Nov. 1, during a trip...

Conlin is wealthy enough to finance her own campaign. She will also receive plenty of funding from her out-of-state liberal friends. Conlin is the former president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. This is a group that the entire Democratic Party is beholden too. In fact, former DNC chairman Howard Dean admitted that it was the trial lawyers that are preventing the Democrats from inserting necessary tort reform into the ObamaCare bill.

Pawlenty hit Obama on the porkulus bill, ever-rising unemployment, broken promises of bipartisanship, and the enormous federal deficit. "We've got a Democrat-controlled Congress messing around with a miserable healthcare bill. They should be focused like a laser on jobs, not acting like a manure spreader in a wind storm," Pawlenty said to laughter and applause.

DES MOINES – Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty used his Iowa debut as a potential presidential candidate Saturday to excoriate President Obama and congressional Democrats for not doing more to address the still-wheezing economy. “They should be focused like a laser on jobs, not acting like a manure-spreader in a wind storm,” Pawlenty told Iowa Republicans gathered in an exhibition hall at the state fairgrounds, criticizing Democrats for their efforts on healthcare and energy.

Minnesota Governor and 2012 Presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty needed to make an impressive showing in his first major speech in front of Iowa's most influential Republicans. He accomplished that goal. Pawlenty's speech at the Iowa GOP's fall fundraiser was peppered with humor, stiff jabs at Barack Obama, and well-placed, straight right wing points

Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is planning a second anti-health care reform Tea Party at the Capitol -- this one scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday -- approximately the time when the House is due to vote on Democrats' public option bill, POLITICO's Jake Sherman reports. King and Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) organized a rally Thursday that drew thousands to the west front of the Capitol, drawing chants of “Kill the Bill.” There were a handful of arrests. “We can kill this bill and stop the government takeover of health care,” King said in a news release. “We need the help of...

For conservative political junkies in the Hawkeye State, Saturday is a great opportunity to get your fix. Three major events take place throughout the day and they are spread out enough that you can check out all them. The first is the Iowa Tea Party Statewide Convention...

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - An aide says lawyer Roxanne Conlin will announce next week she'll seek the Democratic nomination for US Senate in 2010, seeking to oppose Republican Sen. Charles Grassley... The 65-year-old Conlin was the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in 1982 and has been one of the nation's most prominent trial lawyers, at one point heading the National Trial Lawyer's Association...

The Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday in two cases involving claims that the criminal justice system had gone badly awry. In one, Iowa prosecutors are accused of fabricating evidence that sent two innocent men to life imprisonment for murder. In the other, an Alabama prisoner attributed his death sentence to an appointed defense lawyer's failure to present evidence at the sentencing phase of his trial.... In the Iowa case, Curtis W. McGhee Jr. and Terry J. Harrington, having spent 25 years in prison, were freed after the Iowa Supreme Court's determination in 2003 that the main witness against them was...

A former state lawmaker will become the mayor of Cedar Rapids, as the city strives to recover from last year’s devastating flood. Ron Corbett overwhelmingly defeated his main challenger, city council member Brian Fagan on Tuesday. Mayor Kay Halloran did not seek re-election. Corbett says this election proves Cedar Rapids residents are dissatisfied with how city government responded to the flood. “It’s been 17 months, still no buyouts,” Corbett says. “Very little of the local option sales tax is getting into the pockets to help the flood victims, so a lot of frustration.” Corbett got about 62-percent of the vote,...

DES MOINES - Days before traveling to Iowa to headline a Republican Party fundraiser, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty was noncommittal about whether he would run for president but didn't shut the door to a campaign. In recent weeks, Pawlenty has launched the Freedom First PAC, fueling speculation that he is gearing up for a presidential run in 2012. Pawlenty appears Saturday at a Republican Party of Iowa gathering at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, where he will keynote the event. Pawlenty said he'll make a decision about his future shortly after he finishes out his current term as governor. "But I...

My call to representative Leonard Boswell of Iowa

Buffett's Big Bet: $34B On 2nd-Largest Railroad Freight expectations: Warren Buffett goes `all-in' with $34B bet on railroads and the economy By Samantha Bomkamp,November 3, 2009 NEW YORK (AP) -- The biggest name in investing is making what he calls an "all-in wager" on the U.S. economy -- $34 billion to own a railroad that hauls everything from corn to cars across the country. The acquisition of Burlington Northern Santa Fe, the nation's second-largest railroad, would be the biggest ever for Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway investment company. It's a natural fit for the Oracle of Omaha, a city with a...

In Iowa, Euphoria Gives Way to Second Thoughts on Obama JEFF ZELENY November 2, 2009 WILLIAMSBURG, Iowa — Pauline McAreavy voted for President Obama. From the moment she first saw him two years ago, she was smitten by his speeches and sold on his promise of change. She switched parties to support him in the Iowa caucuses, donated money and opened her home to a pair of young campaign workers. “I really thought there would be immediate change,” said Pauline McAreavy, 76, a retired school nurse. But by the time she received a fund-raising letter last month from the Democratic...

Pauline McAreavy voted for President Obama. From the moment she first saw him two years ago, she was smitten by his speeches and sold on his promise of change. She switched parties to support him in the Iowa caucuses, donated money and opened her home to a pair of young campaign workers. But by the time she received a fund-raising letter last month from the Democratic National Committee, a sense of disappointment had set in. She returned the solicitation with a handwritten note, saying: “Until I see some progress and he lives up to his promises in Iowa, we will...

IOWA CITY — Wendell Potter refers to the health insurance industry as “masters of deceit.” It’s not a slam from an outsider. Potter, 58, of Philadelphia, was once one of them. After a 20-year career in public relations that ended as chief corporate spokesman of CIGNA Corp., one of the nation’s largest health insurers, Potter left last year. “I told them I just didn’t want to do it anymore,” he said in a phone interview with The Gazette. At the time, he didn’t plan on speaking out against the industry where he had honed a successful career. But after seeing...

Sanford Bishop (GA-2) WASHINGTON OFFICE 2429 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC 20515-1002 Phone- (202) 225-3631 Fax- (202) 225-2203 ALBANY OFFICE 235 Roosevelt Avenue Albany Towers, Suite 114 Albany GA 31701 Phone: (229) 439-8067 Fax: (229) 436-2099 COLUMBUS OFFICE 18 Ninth Street, Suite 201 Columbus, GA 31901 Phone: (706) 320-9477 Fax: (706) 320-9479 THOMASVILLE OFFICE 137 East Jackson Street, Thomasville, GA 31792 Phone: (229) 226-7789 Fax: (229) 226-7860 Contact him http://bishop.house.gov/display.cfm?section_id=13 Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sanford-Bishop-Jr/18910585219 Dan Boren (OK-2) Muskogee Office 431 W. Broadway Muskogee, OK 74401 (918) 687-2533 (918) 686-0128 fax Claremore Office 309 W. 1st Street Claremore, OK 74017 (918) 341-9336...

Sarah Palin and Fred Thompson had the guts to do what Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and the entire Republican Party would not do. One month ago, Thompson became the first prominent national Republican to endorse Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the New York District 23 Congressional race. Palin made an even bigger impact by endorsing Hoffman a week and a half ago. In doing so, Palin lived up to her penchant for going against the mainstream and taking on powerbrokers inside her own party.

Palin says 'not now' to Iowa invite

Bill Gates took on the Famine Lobby while addressing a forum on the world food supply in Iowa. Speaking at the World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines, Gates took aim at the chorus of environmental leftists and organic food advocates who believe Africans should starve rather than eat genetically modified (GM) foods. “Some voices are instantly hostile to any emphasis on productivity. They act as if there is no emergency, even though in the poorest, hungriest places on earth, population is growing faster than productivity,” he said.The opposition is significant, because Gates is left-of-center himself. The Bill and Melinda...

She’s not coming, but would like to in the future. She’d also come for free. Bryan English at the Iowa Family Policy Center just sent the following press release: "10/30/09 Pleasant Hill, IA – Iowa Family Policy Center ACTION received word this morning that Governor Sarah Palin is unable to accept our speaking invitation due to her book tour contractual commitments, which cannot be changed. We extended our invitation knowing she would be in the middle of her book tour and the chances of her being able to accept any invitations were extremely slim. She has asked if she could...

The Iowa Family Policy Center makes official what Palin spokeswoman Meg Stapleton suggested to me earlier this week: that the former Alaska governor won't be appearing before the social conservative group later this month. Apparently, issuing a statement before she commits suggesting she may be coming and dangling $100,000 at her isn't the way to coax Palin into an appearance. "Iowa Family Policy Center ACTION received word this morning that Governor Sarah Palin is unable to accept our speaking invitation due to her book tour contractual commitments, which cannot be changed. We extended our invitation knowing she would be in...

The news is everywhere. Voters are realizing that the current Democratic/Republican party system is no longer responsive to the voice of “We the People.� In New York, third party candidate Doug Hoffman is now leading in the polls in the special congressional election. In New Jersey, Independent Candidate Chris Daggett is taking a big bite out of his Republican and Democratic opponents. The myth that an Independent candidate can’t win, a myth that is intentionally perpetuated by the two major parties, is being dispelled. In his farewell address, George Washington warned about the corrupting danger of political parties. His fears...

DES MOINES, Iowa -- A Des Moines girl was suspended after school officials said she violated their weapons policy. Jazmine Martin, 12, brought an empty shotgun shell to school on Monday, a souvenir from a summer vacation to South Dakota. The shell was empty and had the word "blank" written on the front. "We went to South Dakota and went to the Circle B Ranch," said Chenoa Martin, Jazmine's mother. "There's a show of the old West -- a stampede. Had a gun shoot-out and stuff like that. When they fire their rifles, they do it into the crowd. It...