What is former Governor Terry Branstad’s definition of conservativism?
Terry Branstad says he a conservative, if this was really the case
would he have helped Senator Ben Nelson get elected? In his 2000
Senate race, Democrat Ben Nelson won with the support of Terry
Branstad.
Terry Branstad says he wants to cut taxes, I wonder if he’s talking
about the taxes he raised. Branstad raised the gas tax. He also
raised sales tax by 67% and former Speaker of the House Chris Rants
claims he raised taxes thirty times.
Terry Branstad says he is pro-life, NOT if his Lieutenant Governor
reflects his position. Recognized as a supporter of abortion rights,
Joy Corning served on the Board of Directors for Iowa’s chapter of
Planned Parenthood and led their fundraising drive in 2002. Also a
proponent of gay rights, Corning received the “Interfaith Award” in
2009, along with the woman who followed her as Lt. Governor, Sally
Pederson. This award came after a joint letter to the editor of the
Des Moines Register was written by the former Lieutenant Governors
promoting gay marriage.
Terry Branstad says he is pro-family, if that is true it sure didn’t
show up in the two judges he appointed that gave us same-sex marriage.
Terry Branstad says he wants to improve education. If he really cared
about the children would he have sold out to the teachers union?
Branstad was endorsed the teachers union in 1994.
Terry Branstad says he wants to cut the size of government. While
Terry Branstad was governor the number of employees in the executive
branch went from 8,897 to 19,964!!
Number of full-time equivalent (FTE) state executive branch employees
in 1985: 8,897. [“Restructuring and Downsizing of Iowa State
Government,” Peat, Marwick (1985)]
Number of full-time equivalent (FTE) state executive branch employees
in 2001: 19,964 [Iowa Department of Administrative Services “Just the
Facts” Report (2002)]
I, Brian Rosener am proud to join Dr. James Dobson, Gov. Mike
Huckabee, Chuck Norris, the Iowa Family PAC, David Barton, Michael
Farris and the president of the Iowa/Nebraska Chapter of the NAACP and
many others in urging the citizens of Iowa to vote for Bob Vander
Plaats for governor on Tuesday.
(Source: Focus on the Family)
Imagine the impact that Americans of faith could have on the future of our nation, the character of its leadership and the moral health of its people if we all applied biblical principles to every aspect of our lives – inclouding our participation in the democratic process.
It is absolutely critical that Christians be registered, be informed and vote our values. As believers, we have a duty to be involved in the democratic process. But our charge is not simply to vote the way our friends or family vote, or the way our political party wants us to vote, or even with concern only for our pocketbook. Instead, we must vote our values, our beliefs, our convictions. An informed vote takes effort. The choice is not always easy, but it is always significant.
Come and meet Brenna Findley who is the GOP Candidate for Iowa Attorney General. She has served for over 7 years as Congressman Steve King’s Chief of Staff and also as Congressman King’s Senior Advisor on judicial issues. She is a strong defender of the principles of our United States Constitution. Invite your friends and neighbors to come with you to learn more about her on Thursday, May 13 at 12:00 Noon in Sheldon at the Holiday Inn Express Meeting Room, located on Highway 18 by the Highway 60 Expressway.
In spite of what some lawmakers would have us believe, the failure of the IMA to get out of committee this week is not the end of our hopes for action for this legislative session. It can still be brought to the floor of the Senate during this term – if we can get 26 members to sign on. We have 23 Senators, and we should have had Senator Kibbie’s signature on this resolution as well. He did, in fact, promise he would vote in support of the IMA if it came to a vote.
Newspaper quote from Senator Jack Kibbie:
Kibbie said he would vote to place an amendment before the people during a referendum.
”If it comes up in my presence and the roll call is called for Jack Kibbie’s vote it will be in favor of letting you vote,’‘ he said.
- The Messenger, Nov. 22, 2009
It did come to a vote. He did not support it.
It seems that Senator Kibbie is not a man of his word. It seems that Senator Kibbie refuses to faithfully represent his constituents.
The IFPC folks put it this way:
either Senator Kibbie should sign the pledge to support the IMA with all the power of his office,
or he should resign from his position.
That’s it – either SIGN or RESIGN.
Do the job he was hired to do, or get out of the way.
2/11/10 Pleasant Hill, IA – Standing between Iowa citizens and their right to vote on the Iowa Marriage Amendment, Senate Democrats this week obstructed efforts to take action on the amendment ahead of an important legislative deadline. Bills that fail to move out of committee before the end of “funnel week,” are generally no longer considered viable for the remainder of the session. While Senate rules provide options for leadership to take action on items like the Iowa Marriage Amendment after the funnel, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal has publicly offered to risk his majority status, and his next election, to keep Iowans from having an opportunity to vote.
The Republican effort to let Iowans vote on the Iowa Marriage Amendment this week was lead by Senator David Johnson of Ocheyedan. By inviting the other Senators to sign a discharge petition, Johnson attempted to bring the Iowa Marriage Amendment to the floor for a vote over Gronstal’s objection. The petition quickly gained the signatures of all 18 Republican Senators, along with that of Democrat Senator Tom Hanckock. As the week wore on, other Democrats began to respond to calls and e-mails from their constituents. As the funnel closed, Democrat Senators Black, Kreiman, Olive, and Seng had added their names to the list. Ultimately, Johnson fell three Members short of the 26 signatures he needed.
IFPC Action spokesman Bryan English responded to the end of this week’s activity in the Iowa Senate by saying, “Thanks to the hard work of Senator Johnson and his Republican colleagues, we now have a record of who really cares about marriage, and who understands that the Supreme Court is not the lawmaking body of this state. It is blatantly apparent that in the environment created by last April’s Iowa Supreme Court opinion, Senate Democrats are not qualified to remain the majority party.” According to English, “Iowans who support real marriage are not going away, and if Mike Gronstal would like them to focus their energy on removing him from the majority, they will be happy to comply.”
One Member of the Iowa Senate whose signature was glaringly absent from the discharge petition was Senate President Jack Kibbie of Emmetsburg. Senator Kibbie, who has on several occasions publicly declared his support for real marriage, and his willingness to vote for the Iowa Marriage Amendment, refused to take even the smallest action to keep his promises. This week, Senator Kibbie chose to side with Mike Gronstal and the homosexual lobby over the wishes of his constituents, and an opportunity to preserve the only definition of marriage, by refusing to sign the petition.
Commenting on the larger implications of the events of the week, English said, “The battle raging in Iowa over the issue of marriage is a political reflection of a larger spiritual war that began with original sin. Anyone who has read the Bible knows that while individual battles will continue, the ultimate outcome of the spiritual war was settled long ago by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” He concluded by saying, “When the current political debate over marriage is viewed through the lens of eternity, politicians like Mike Gronstal and Jack Kibbie need to understand that they’ve already lost.”
(from Iowa Family Policy Center – Tom Steen)
http://www.bringhomethepoliticians.com/
“We, hereby, demand and will pursue the relocation of all US Representatives and Senators to spend no less than 75% of their time in elected office in our State Capitals to telecommute via secured phone, fax, email, and web conference with their federal counterparts.
On the Local level, State Representatives and Senators will be relocated to spend no less than 75% of their time in elected office in the City Halls or Court Houses of our Districts to likewise telecommute with their state counterparts.
This will essentially “embed” politicians among the people they’re supposed to represent allowing them to always be informed with our communities’ positions on each issue and be within close reach to voice our opposition when necessary.
• Restores Balance of Power – Citizens are put back in charge of this country.
• Nonpartisan – This plan favors no political party since all need to be reigned in.
• Anti-Lobbying – Lobbyists spend most of their budget on travel expenses.
• Reduce Corruption – Citizens/Local Media resume their role as government watch dog.
• Cost Effective – The cost of upgrading state and local facilities for this plan is dwarfed by the savings from stopping out of control government spending.
• National Security – Any natural disaster or assault on DC would be far less catastrophic because it would be taking down only one server on a grid of 51.
Petition:
We, hereby, demand and will pursue the relocation of all US Representatives and Senators to spend no less than 75% of their time in elected office in our State Capitals to telecommute via secured phone, fax, email, and web conference with their federal counterparts.
On the Local level, State Representatives and Senators will be relocated to spend no less than 75% of their time in elected office in the City Halls or Court Houses of our Districts to likewise telecommute with their state counterparts.
This will essentially “embed” politicians among the people they’re supposed to represent allowing them to always be informed with our communities’ positions on each issue and be within close reach to voice our opposition when necessary.”
Petition http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/bringhomethepoliticians.html
This year, the Iowa Supreme Court justices unanimously legalized same-sex marriage. Three of these judges will be on the 2010 ballot for your vote of “yes” or “no”.
Chief Justice Marsha K. Ternus who was appointed by then governor Terry Branstad; Michael J. Streit who was appointed by then governor Tom Vilsak; David L. Baker who was appointed by Governor Chet Culver.
Mat Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University’s Law School, had this reaction. “These activist judges are no more than proselytizing engines of social change,” he offers. “That’s not the role of a judge. They are to be umpires merely calling the balls or strikes. They don’t rewrite the definition of marriage.”