The main thrust of the FBI investigation seems to stem from alleged campaign finance violations. Former Bachmann staffer Peter Waldron filed a complaint with the FEC in January regarding five possible violations committed by Bachmann and her associates.

One of those charges involves alleged third party payments to Iowa Senator Kent Sorenson (R-Milo). Sorenson served as the state chairman for Bachmann’s campaign.

Former Bachmann chief of staff Andy Parrish swore in an affidavit that Sorenson was being paid by C&M Strategies for his work on the Bachmann presidential campaign, in an effort to help Sorenson skirt Iowa Senate ethics rules. Parrish also states that Congresswoman Bachmann approved the payments.

“I can confirm that Andy Parrish has been contacted by the FBI and plans to submit to a telephonic interview with them sometime in the coming days. He plans to cooperate fully with them,” said attorney John Gilmore, who represents Parrish.

Due in large part to the affidavit from Parrish, the Iowa Senate Ethics Committee voted to have a special investigator look in to two ethics charges against Sorenson. Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady appointed Des Moines attorney Mark Weinhardt to serve as the special investigator.

One of the ethics charges against Sorenson centers around the third party payment allegations. The other involves the alleged theft of a homeschooling database that was taken off the computer of Bachmann staffer Barb Heki and illegally used by the campaign.

Heki became the public scapegoat for the illegal use of the list because she was a board member Christian homeschooling organization. Heki claims Congresswoman Bachmann informed her, on the final day of the presidential campaign, that Kent Sorenson had taken the database off Heki’s computer. Bachmann’s former Iowa campaign manager in a sworn Eric Woolson states affidavit that Sorenson admitted taking part in the alleged theft.

In response, Barb Heki filed a lawsuit against Bachmann, Sorenson and others involved in the campaign. That suit might be settled soon. Bachmann reportedly came to Iowa two weeks ago to negotiate a settlement with Heki.

Bachmann’s attorney, Jeff Goodman, withdrew his motions to compel in the lawsuit on May 17. That is another indication a settlement is close or has been reached.

As for the FBI investigation, it is likely they are looking into Peter Waldron’s allegation that the campaign used money from MichelePAC to pay fundraising consultant Guy Short, who owns C&M Strategies. A candidate cannot use their political action committee for campaign purposes.

FEC records show the Bachmann campaign paid C&M Strategies more than $104,000 between July and November 2011. At the same time, MichelePAC was paying Guy Short around $5,000 per month.

Waldron also alleges in his FEC complaint that payments were withheld from him and other former Bachmann campaign staffers unless they signed confidentiality agreements. He provided documentation that shows this request was made a year after the campaign ended. If that allegation is true, it is potentially a case of witness tampering and/or obstruction of justice.

State Senator Kent Sorenson has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in regards to his alleged payment and the theft of the homeschooling database. He calls the ethics charges against him part of a political witch hunt.

Michele Bachmann, who grew up in Waterloo, Iowa, won the Ames Straw Poll in August 2011 but finished a disappointing sixth place in the Iowa Caucus on January 3, 2012. She ended her campaign the next day.

At long last, the idiocy, connivery and outright incompetence of the Obama administration is coming to light …  How bad was last week for Barack and his buddies? In an attempt to deflect the torrent of criticism regarding their mishandling, and apparent coverup, of Benghazi, the White House admitted their own idiocy … Yes, really …

“We’re portrayed by Republicans as either being lying or idiots,” one Obama administration official told CBS. “It’s actually closer to us being idiots.” … Actually, I would say it’s a strong mix of both … Throw in some uber liberalism and you’ve got quite a cocktail of douchebaggery running our country …

Just in case you’ve been living in a cave, here’s a brief summation of the scandals currently embroiling Team Obama:

Obama’s State Department lied about what happened in Benghazi and why it happened, while doing everything they could to keep the truth hidden by trying to silence would be whistleblowers.

Obama’s Justice Department secretly obtained two months of phone records from AP reporters and editors in a massive intrusion of privacy and overreach of government.

Obama’s IRS admitted to targeting conservative groups in the lead-up in the 2012 elections …

On the bright side, Obama is finally finding uses for the Marines:

In response to the IRS scandal, President Obama fired the commissioner. Of course, that gentleman had already planned on quitting in a few weeks … And as the sage Charles Krauthammer points out, Obama’s explanation reeks of Clintonesque manipulation:

But it’s not just conservatives like Krauthammer who are hammering the Obama administration. Realizing there’s no excuse for the inexcusable, some liberals and longtime Obama allies in the media have turned on Barack as well. Anti-Second Amendment Brit twit Piers Morgan says their actions are “bordering on tyrannical behavior”:

Even Mr. Tingles Chris Matthews sees through the load of crap Obama and his spokesman are shoveling, saying Obama “obviously likes giving speeches more than he does running the executive branch”:

The lap dogs in the media are finally finding out what the rest of us knew five years ago. Barack Obama is an empty suit. He’s not only the most left-wing president in history. He’s also incapable of governing. And his inner circle includes the sleaziest people in all of American politics, which is really saying something …

And yes, there are plenty of Iowa ties to this whole mess … The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents the IRS employees who were targeting conservatives, donated to all four Iowa Democrat congressional candidates’ campaigns in 2012 …

Dave Loebsack collected $5,500 from IRS employees. They give Bruce Braley $2,000. Leonard Boswell also pocketed $2,000 and Carpetbagger Christie Vilsack snagged $1,500 … Altogether, the IRS union gave almost $450,000 to Democrat congressional candidates and only $24,000 to Republicans …

The Coalition for Life of Iowa is apparently one of those conservative organizations the IRS targeted … According to the group, in June of 2009, the IRS refused to grant them tax exempt status unless every member of their board signed a statement that they would not picket/protest outside of Planned Parenthood clinics … Beyond disgraceful …

State Rep. Chip Baltimore, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, asks any Iowa non-profit group that feels they have been harassed by the IRS to contact him. Baltimore says it’s important for Iowans to come forward and “make their voice heard” regarding this scandal …

Ya know, if we just instituted the Fair Tax, we could get rid of the IRS and wouldn’t have any of these problems …

Or maybe we just need the Big Red Monster (no, not me), WWE superstar Kane to go to the U.S. Senate and chokeslam everyone there. Kane, whose real name is Glenn Jacobs, is considering running against Republican incumbent Lamar Alexander in Tennessee next year …

Kane leans libertarian Paulistinian, so here’s some free opposition research for Sen. Alexander: Kane is beyond emotionally unstable … For starters, he’s an alleged murderer … Kane also once tried to fry the testicles of Shane McMahon with jumper cables … Kane convinced Lita to sleep with him in exchange for not beating up her boyfriend Matt Hardy. He then got her pregnant and forced her to marry him … Kane also has a strange obsession with baseball Hall of Famer outcast Pete Rose. Maybe because Rose bet on wrestling.

While the mess in D.C. will linger for a while, with no escape for the Dems, let’s hope the Iowa Legislature finally figures things out this week and heads home. If the senate Democrats would remove their collective heads from their sphincters, we could get the largest tax cut in state history passed … This bill isn’t perfect, but it benefits a vast number of Iowans and makes a lot of sense … In other words, don’t count on Gronstal letting it happen.

Sadly, some Iowa Republicans showed last week that they are completely tone deaf on some issues:

Example One: Gas prices in Iowa jumped from $3.29 10 days ago to $3.89 on Thursday. The next day, some Republicans tried to push a gas tax increase through the Iowa Legislature … Insanely idiotic.

Example Two: Governor Branstad tried to push through an $11,000 pay raise for executive council members (governor, lt. governor, SOS, auditor, attorney general, sec. of ag.) that would go into effect in December of 2014 … That doesn’t necessarily mean Branstad would be on the receiving end of the pay raise, but that doesn’t matter. This idea was ill-conceived and ill-advised …

For most of the executive council, the extra $11,000 equals around a 10% pay raise … Despite our state’s low unemployment rate, a lot of Iowans are still struggling in the Obama economy and this massive pay raise is too pricy.

Finally, a feel good story, involving a U.S. Marine, who served in Afghanistan. Sgt. Ross Gundlach served 150 missions in Afghanistan with a yellow lab named Casey. On Friday, with help from the Iowa State Fire Marshall’s office, Gundlach and his best friend were reunited, much to the Marine’s surprise.

The whole story is worth a watch:

That’s it for this week. Thanks for dropping by. Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

However, Iowa Senate Democrats did not take up the measure on the floor. It was expected they would do so when the session reconvenes Friday morning. However, the word among state senators late Thursday night was that the bill might not be voted on this week. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal (D-Council Bluffs) stands in the way of this significant piece of legislation.

“As you know, we’ve been working on this very diligently for three years,” Branstad told reporters on Thursday. “This is a good example of everybody really working together to try to get something that’s going to make a real difference to make the state more competitive and reduce the property tax burden for the citizens of Iowa.”

The comprehensive package includes elements that the Republican-led Iowa House, Democrat-led Iowa Senate and Republican Governor Terry Branstad advocated for.

“The conference committee has passed both chambers and is agreed upon. I am hopeful that Senator Gronstal will bring it to the floor tomorrow for a full vote,” said Sen. Jack Whitver (R-Ankeny). “This bill will be the largest tax reduction in Iowa history and includes relief for commercial property, residential property, apartments and an income tax reduction. This is the type of pro-growth legislation that will continue to move the Iowa economy towards number one in the country.”

There are several different aspects of the bill, which will impact various groups of Iowans. The legislation will reduce commercial property tax rates by 10 percent, over two years. It will also create a new tax credit for commercial property owners.

The Earned Income Tax Credit, a benefit to low income Iowans, will increase significantly. There will also be a new tax credit of around $60 per year for income tax payers. The legislation also lowers the cap on annual increases in residential and agricultural property tax assessments.

“I am hopeful that the bill will go through. Part of the process is negotiations, sitting down and in good faith try to reach a compromise the all parties can agree to,” said Sen. Jake Chapman (R-Adel). “While I don’t think it is a perfect property tax relief bill, it will be the largest tax cut in Iowa history and will put Iowa on a more level playing field to attract and retain business.”

If the bill is taken up by the Iowa Senate and receives majority support, it will be sent over to the Iowa House. Following passage from both chambers, Governor Branstad says he will enact the tax reform legislation.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to sign it. Obviously, it’s been a high priority of mine since I came back as governor and I think it will make a big difference for our state,” Branstad said.

Although this legislation is expected to provide significant tax relief, it does not meet all the reforms Republicans hoped for. They originally pushed for a $375 per taxpayer income tax credit, as a way to repay the over collection of taxes resulting in a $700 million budget surplus.

Local governments are likely to oppose the measure. They will lose revenue if the legislation passes, due to the property tax reductions.

“I’m hopeful we can do more in future years but I think this is the art of what was possible with this General Assembly and I’m very appreciate of the cooperation and that everybody’s worked together,” Governor Branstad added.

A few years ago Senate Democrats began pressuring the IRS to target many of the conservative groups that the embattled agency now stands accused of doing. In fact, the Senate Democrat majority even threatened to take legislative action against the agency if it failed to target the groups. Perhaps that’s why so many Democrats are today feigning outrage.

This story has been well known for YEARS. Why did Bruce Braley keep quiet?

Surely Democrat Bruce Braley reads the New York Times, which reported back in 2010: “With growing scrutiny of the role of tax-exempt groups in political campaigns, Congressional Republicans are pushing back against Democrats by warning about the possible misuse of the Internal Revenue Service to audit conservative groups….And the Republicans are also upset about an I.R.S. review requested by Senator Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat who leads the Finance Committee, into the political activities of tax-exempt groups. Such a review threatens to “chill the legitimate exercise of First Amendment rights,” wrote two Republican senators, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah and Jon Kyl of Arizona, in a letter sent to the I.R.S. … Democrats dismissed the Republicans’ complaints as groundless.”

The pressure grew so immense that the New York Times reported on it. “The Internal Revenue Service is caught in an election-year struggle between Democratic lawmakers pressing for a crackdown on nonprofit political groups and conservative organizations accusing the tax agency of conducting a politically charged witch hunt.”

Why did the IRS target conservative groups?  According to the New York Times, because Senate Democrats directed and pressured them to.

Silence is acceptance.  Bruce Braley’s deafening silence when the scandal first began makes him just as guilty of wrongdoing as the Senate Democrats who directly pressured the IRS to target these conservative groups.

NRSC Press Release

Last week, we began digging into the various aspects of the larger question of whether the Kermit Gosnell atrocities could happen in Iowa.  So far, we’ve established that late-term third-trimester abortions are perfectly legal in Iowa for just about any reason or pretense the doctor might come up with.  The next question is whether the type of late-term abortions that Kermit Gosnell did (or, as the case may be, was attempting to do) are legal or utilized in Iowa.

Legislation prohibiting “partial birth abortion” prohibits one specific abortion technique in Iowa in which part of the baby is outside of the mother when the doctor kills the baby, usually by cutting the spinal cord (sound familiar?) and then often sucking the brains out, thereby crushing the skull.

The good news is that this barbaric practice is no longer legal.  The bad news is that doctors, including doctors in Iowa, have come up with a similarly barbaric procedure to kill babies in late-term abortions.

The procedure that Gosnell claimed to be using to kill third-trimester, viable babies involved an injection of poison using a needle inserted though the mother’s abdomen directly into the baby’s body.  This injection, typically of a drug called digoxin, is intended to kill the child.  After that, the woman is given medication to soften and open her cervix, and also another medication to induce labor for the delivery of the dead child.

At Gosnell’s trial, witnesses testified that this would be a standard protocol.  However, they also testified that this isn’t the procedure Gosnell actually followed.  Basically, Gosnell, in an effort to cut costs and corners, skipped the Digoxin injections.  The women were still given the other drugs to open the cervix and induce labor, which meant that late-term babies were often delivered alive.

So, could this happen in Iowa?  Would any local doctors cut corners like this?  Would any actually do these gruesome procedures?

Once again, the unfortunate answer to this question is, yes, Iowa doctors do cut corners to save money, even though that means the unborn child will experience excruciating pain.

Dr. Jill Meadows, formerly known as Jill Vibhakar, is an Iowa abortionst who, until recently, was employed by the University of Iowa where, among other things, she taught Iowa medical students how to perform abortions.  During this time, she also served as the medical school’s “liaison” to the Emma Goldman Clinic, a well-known abortion clinic in Iowa City where she also performed abortions.  Meadows once testified under oath that she personally performed 264 second trimester abortions at the Emma Goldman Clinic between 2001 and 2003.  During this time, she also performed one to three abortions per month at the University of Iowa Hospitals.  Abortion advocacy groups report that the abortions Dr. Meadows performed at the University were for babies of up to 23 weeks gestation.

In 2010, Dr. Meadows left her full-time employment with the University to take a position as the Medical Director for Planned Parenthood of the Heartland.   The University agreed not to enforce Dr. Meadows’ non-competition agreement under the condition that she volunteer to continue teaching medical students how to perform abortions.

Pro-life advocates believe that Dr. Meadows performs abortions much later than 23 weeks gestation.  First of all, Iowa Department of Vital Statistics reports from 2010 and 2011 indicate that abortions were happening in Iowa up until 29 weeks gestation.  So, someone must be responsible for performing these abortions, and the prime suspect is Meadows, in large part, because she was a co-plaintiff with Dr. LeRoy Carhart in the Carhart v. Gonzalez case in which several abortionists challenged a law prohibiting the gruesome procedure known as partial birth abortion, a procedure only used in very late-term abortions.

It is Dr. Meadows’ testimony in this case that provides insight into the procedures she uses when performing late term abortions.  Her co-plaintiff, Dr. Carhart, testified that he actually engages in pain relief measures for the baby, administering lidocaine before injecting the baby with a lethal dose of digoxin and then dismembering the baby’s tiny body.

In contrast, Dr. Meadows testified that she does not administer either lidocaine or digoxin when performing late-term abortions.  She stated that it was “not deemed necessary and it would add an increased burden to the girl/woman with an additional procedure and small risk associated with that, and more anxiety and discomfort and expense and time involved.”

You know who else didn’t bother using digoxin or any kind of pain relief for the babies when performing late-term abortions?

Kermit Gosnell.

One of the things that made his case so egregious and upsetting to so many people was that the fact that Gosnell deviated from the generally accepted standard of care all in the name of saving a few bucks.  Apparently Dr. Meadows and Kermit Gosnell have that in common.

So, if Dr. Meadows doesn’t kill these late-term babies using digoxin injections, how do they die?

She tears them apart and crushes them while they are still alive.

According to court testimony, “[t]o facilitate removing large pieces of the fetus, Dr. Vibhakar (Meadows) grasps fetal parts that start coming through the cervix, and then regrasps or twists those parts at a higher level in the cervix or uterus, rather than continuing to pull on the part such that it disarticulates.  When a part of the fetus is too large to fit through the cervix, it separates from the rest of the fetus’s body, causing ‘multiple passes’ to be made to remove the entire fetus.”

Dr. Meadows has been quoted as saying she “[c]an’t think of a time when it’s [the baby has] come out without being compressed,” and that “100% of her second trimester D & E procedures involve fetal dismemberment.”  The Carhart case testimony indicates that the procedure Dr. Meadows uses for third trimester abortions is also D & E (dilation and evacuation).

So, here’s a question for you.  If it is so outrageous and morally wrong for Kermit Gosnell to cut the neck of a baby minutes after it’s born alive at 25 weeks gestation, why is it any less outrageous or morally wrong for Dr. Meadows to rip that same 25-week-old baby to pieces minutes before its born?

This is just one of many questions Iowans must answer as the national headlines force us to face the reality of abortion in our own backyards.

The Iowa Democratic Party contends that Mosiman violated state campaign finance laws when she used funds from her Story County Auditor campaign fund to pay for travel to county Republican conventions in 2012.  Mosiman also used campaign funds to pay for training sessions conducted by the Iowa Society of CPA’s.  All told, Mosiman spent $1,461.18 from her campaign account in 2012.

Using campaign funds to cover the cost of political travel and educational purposes are acceptable uses of campaign funds, but Iowa Democrats contend that since Mosiman was no longer an office holder and was not seeking election to any political office when she made the expenditures, the use of campaign funds was solely for ‘personal benefit.’

Iowa Code section 68A.302 states the following as appropriate use of campaign funds.

A candidate and the candidate’s committee shall use campaign funds only for campaign purposes, educational and other expenses associated with the duties of office, or constituency services, and shall not use campaign funds for personal expenses or personal benefit.

The Iowa Code then goes in to more depth as to what campaign funds can and cannot be used for.  Mosiman’s use of campaign funds likely fall into a grey area since she used the funds for legitimate purposes, but the she did so as a state employee not an elected official.  All in all, it seems like the Iowa Democratic Party is just trying to intimidate Mosiman on her first full day on the job.

Maybe instead of trying to find fault with Mosiman, the Iowa Democratic Party should police its own candidates first.

Former Governor Chet Culver has used campaign funds to pay for all sorts of things since leaving office.  There is his storage unit at Fleur Mini Storage that he paid $180.20 a month for from January of 2012 thru July of 2012.  One could say that was a personal benefit of $1,261.40. Culver also used campaign funds to pay for a $1500 event at Lucca, an upscale Restaurant in the East Village of Des Moines, in August of 2011.  Culver also spent $1,705.05 on out-of-state travel and food expenses in March of 2011.

If we are using the Iowa Democrat’s definition of “personal benefit” then Culver’s use of campaign funds for airline tickets, rental cars, fast food, mini storage, and $1500 dinners is a far more blatant violation of the rules than Mosiman taking CPA classes.

Iowa Democrats know that their complaint against Mosiman isn’t going anywhere, but they have already accomplished their goal of smearing a Republican when the Des Moines Register published their hit piece.

Perhaps what this all really tells us is that Governor Branstad’s selection of Mosiman was a good one. Seeing Democrats attack her on her first day on the job sends a signal that they are going to have a hard time finding a quality candidate to run against her in 2014.

I guess the Iowa Democrats’ war on conservative women continues as does the use of the Des Moines Register to smear Republicans with baseless ethics complaints.

Last fall America was stunned and saddened when a terrorist attack on our US Embassy in Benghazi resulted in the brutal murder of our American ambassador and three other Americans.  Equally stunning was the Obama Administration’s deliberate and misleading public blame on a YouTube video regardless of private acknowledgement it was a terrorist attack.  Despite claims otherwise, we are now learning the Embassy had made a security request four months before the attack and there were multiple intelligence reports to support the request.  Those requests were denied.  Additionally, testimony has revealed the Obama administration has attempted to intimidate officials into silence about the details of who knew what and when.

Testimony from State Department officials and the release of emails between White House, State Department and CIA officials show carefully edited talking points misrepresenting the attack were prepared and distributed, perhaps politically motivated with an eye on the November election.  Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) said of the emails, “if had we received this, we would have recognized immediately that there was a progression from truth to lie in twelve changes.”  Outraged by the cover-up and conflicting testimony, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said, “somebody needs to be held accountable for manipulating the American people regarding what actually happened seven weeks before the election.”

“It is difficult to understand why the Obama Administration would deny security requests to Americans serving our country on unstable land overseas,” stated AFF Founder Nick Ryan.  “As more evidence comes to light, more questions are being raised.  Americans deserve to know what really happened, why there is a need to cover-up the truth and what else is the Obama Administration hiding.”

One only needs to look at who the committee chose as it’s chairman and co-chairman to understand that the Ron Paul/liberty crowd has complete control over the inner workings of the Republican Party of Iowa.  Chairman A.J. Spiker was elected after Matt Strawn resigned following his mishandling of the 2012 caucus results and has since been re-elected to another full term.  Co-Chairman David Fisher was elected in January.  Both are former paid operatives for Ron Paul’s presidential campaign.

The Republican Party of Iowa’s ideological bent toward the liberty movement and the candidacies of Ron and Rand Paul has been a concern of longtime Republican activists across the state.  It’s not just that Paul supporters control the Republican Party of Iowa, it’s that they seem unaware of how their actions, like awarding 22 of Iowa’s 28 national delegates to third place finisher, Ron Paul, at the Republican National Convention could harm Iowa’s First-in-the-Nation caucuses.

Since taking over control of the party, the suspicion over the current party administration’s motives has turned into widespread distrust.  NBC News asked Spiker about concerns from some that the Republican Party of Iowa is too narrowly focused on a certain ideology or potential presidential candidate.  “I think the notion that it’s just about Rand or Ron is really kind of silly,” Spiker told Michael O’Brien, a Political Reporter with NBC News.  Yet, many Iowa Republican activists would disagree.

The problem is not that longtime GOP activists don’t like and respect Senator Rand Paul or appreciate what Ron Paul brought to the presidential race in 2008 and 2012, it’s that 2014 has nothing to do with presidential politics, but that seems to be the focus of the Republican Party of Iowa.  As an example, when county leaders in two of the state’s four congressional districts chose to form District Executive Committees as a way to organize for the 2014 elections, the Iowa GOP met them with resentment.

District Executive Committees are allowed under the Republican Party of Iowa’s Constitution, even though they have not been utilized for years.  They consist of the chair and co-chairs of county party organizations, and additional members are allowed in counties with high populations.  Seeing this additional level of grassroots activism materialize is encouraging, yet current party leadership feels threatened by the reemergence of these committees.

While it is true that some county leaders have viewed the District Executive Committees as a way to counter the activities and opinions of the current administration, there are many other advantages that come from reestablishing these committees.

District Executive Committees Will Help RPI Organize for the Caucuses 

The 2014 caucuses are not going to bring with them national media attention, but they are still an important party building event.  Even though no vote will be taken that night, Iowa Republicans should use the off year caucuses to work out the kinks that occurred 2012.  The best way to do that is to require each precinct in Iowa to communicate information back to the Republican Party headquarters in Des Moines.

Let’s face it.  It will take more than just the Paul/liberty supporters to pull off the caucuses.  It would be no different if the Republican Party of Iowa were run by just Santorum or Romney hardliners.  Instead of fighting the District Executive Committees, Spiker and the RPI should instead embrace them and use them to organize the 2014 caucuses. To accomplish this, a level of trust would need to be developed, as well as open lines of communication.

As a former Political Director of the Republican Party of Iowa during a presidential caucus year, I can attest to how important it is to have competent, knowledgeable, and dedicated county chairs with active county central committees behind them.  This is of utmost importance during a presidential caucus cycle.  While most of Iowa’s 99 counties were organized in 2007, far too many of them were not.

2007 wasn’t a great year for Republicans.  Chet Culver had just been elected governor, Dave Loebsack and Bruce Braley were freshmen in Congress, and many Republicans had soured on President George W. Bush.  Simply put, there wasn’t much fight left in Republican activists when I took a job at the Republican Party of Iowa.  When you talked to county chairs about the caucuses, they said that nobody is going to show up.  Worse yet, they actually believed what they were saying.

And to pile bad on top of bad, Michigan and Florida had defied RNC rules and scheduled their primaries in January.  Not only was the date of the Iowa caucuses in constant question, but the time we had to prepare for the caucuses was slashed.  On top of that, the January 3^rd caucus date required county leaders to be engaged over Christmas, a time when many are used to putting politics aside.

Countless hours were spent trying contact non-respondent county chairs.  In some cases, state staff had to organize the caucuses for these county chairs and find local people to be responsible to assume the duties of the county chair.  Had the District Executive Committees existed back then, the counties without active or competent leadership would have been easily identifiable.  Being able to meet with chairs and co-chairs in each congressional district would have made preparing for the caucuses much easier and more efficient.

Trust and communication are key ingredients to a well functioning political party, and that’s what the District Executive Committees can help foster.

District Executive Committees Restore Proper Balance to the Republican Party

Over the past year, the Republican Party of Iowa has become a very top-down organization.  Generally, any chairman speaks on behalf of all Iowa Republicans, but many times they are voicing their own opinions.  Every administration is guilty of this, some just do it more than others.  Likewise, State Central Committee members travel all over the state at the expense of the Republican Party of Iowa in an effort to communicate to county committees about what the state party is up to.

It’s not that State Central Committee members are bad, it’s just that often times they don’t always understand their roles.  I remember when a State Central Committee member conveyed a complaint he heard from a county GOP meeting.  After he was done telling me all about it, I asked him to tell me what he told them after hearing the complaint.  He said, “I told them that would tell you about it.”

The Republican Party of Iowa is bigger than just the chairman, the paid staff, and the central committee members.  The Republican Party of Iowa represents and includes everyone who considers themselves to be a Republican.  Now we are not all going to agree on everything, but we are collectively Iowa Republicans.  The District Executive Committees should help maintain that balance.

Furthermore, the District Executive Committees can help hold party leadership accountable.  It’s never a bad thing when county chairs and co-chairs are asking to take on more responsibility.  They are the people in the trenches who know what works and what doesn’t work in their counties.  It only makes sense for RPI or various statewide campaigns to reach out and involve them in their activities.

I understand why the State Central Committee and the leadership of the Iowa GOP are a little weary of the formation of the District Executive Committees, but if they are truly interested in helping elect Republicans, there is nothing to fear.  The formation of these committees allows the Iowa GOP to be better organized than it has been in years.  That is something to get excited about.

While names like Dave Jamison and Bernardo Granwehr were bandied about, one name that did not receive a lot of public mention was Mary Mosiman. However, in the end, the best man for the job was, indeed, a woman. Mosiman becomes the first female state auditor in Iowa history.

“I had two major requirements for Iowa’s state auditor: that the individual was a CPA, and that the individual would adhere to the sound budgeting principles followed by David Vaudt,” said Branstad. “In Mary, we found that and more. She is a talented, passionate public servant who will keep a very close watch over Iowa’s tax dollars.”

Mosiman served as Story County auditor for 10 years. Most recently, she was the deputy secretary of state. Mary Mosiman is highly regarded by those who know her.

“Auditor Vaudt certainly leaves big shoes to fill, but I know that Mary Mosiman is the right person to meet and exceed the high standards he has established during his decade of service to the citizens of the State of Iowa,” Secretary of State Matt Schultz said. “I am proud to have worked with Mary, and wish her the best as she moves on to become Iowa’s next state auditor.”

There were also political considerations for this appointment. Mary Mosiman, 51, is a more than capable candidate for political office. That was another consideration for Branstad. He wanted someone prepared to run a statewide campaign for election in 2014. Mary Mosiman seems more than up to the task.

“I think it’s very important to have consistency in this office. I have been elected three times. I am looking forward to a statewide campaign,” Mosiman replied.

Not only has shown been elected three times, Mosiman achieved that feat as a Republican in left-leaning Story County. Assuming Branstad runs for reelection, which appears likely, he and other Republican candidates will need help winning Story County. Mosiman was an active supporter of Republicans during the 2010 campaign and having her name on the ballot will provide a boost to every other candidate on the ballot.

David Vaudt was elected state auditor three times. So, not only was he highly regarded for the work he did as Iowa’s taxpayer watchdog, Vaudt was formidable candidate in statewide elections.

“He is going to be a tough act to follow. I know this, but I like a challenge,” Mosiman said. “I’m going to look forward to continuing with the best practice and procedures that he has established. Consistency in these matters is paramount.”

Mosiman wasted no time getting to work. She had already sign her Oath of Office before Monday’s 9 am news conference, where she was officially announced as the new auditor. Mosiman attended the state’s executive council meeting at 10 am and hit the ground running in her first day on the job.

“Mary is one of the hardest working public officials that I’ve had the pleasure to work with and to know, and I look forward to working with her in the future,” said Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds. “She will be a partner in insuring Iowa’s budget remains stable and predictable.”

One priority many political observers felt was key for a smooth transition was that the new auditor would retain Vaudt’s longtime Chief of Staff Bernardo Granwehr. It sounds like Mosiman agrees with the assessment.

“The current team of professionals that works in the state auditor’s office, they are the heart and the soul behind all these duties and they do a great job,” Mosiman said. “I’m looking forward to working with this exceptional group of individuals. In fact, I can’t wait to get started.”

Although she was appointed by Governor Branstad, it is vital for the Auditor Mosiman to put political considerations aside while overseeing the state’s vast public finances.

“One of my top priorities is to be an independent voice for the people of Iowa and that means working with the governor’s office and the General Assembly.” Mosiman said. “I assume there will be differences of opinion and they will just have to be addressed because it doesn’t go along the lines of politics when it comes to the financial matters of the state.”

Mary Mosiman served as Story County’s auditor and deputy of elections from 2001-2011. She has spent the past couple of years working in the secretary of state’s office, serving as the deputy of elections.

“I am very pleased with Governor Branstad’s selection of Mary Mosiman as our next auditor of the State of Iowa,” said Story County GOP Chair Dane Nealson. “Iowans will quickly learn why Mary was so popular with voters in Story County during her time as county auditor. Auditor Vaudt leaves big shoes to fill, but I am confident that Mary will run the auditor’s office with the same level of class, competence, and professionalism as her predecessor.”

David Vaudt set a new standard for state auditors as a Certified Public Accountant. Vaudt used that designation as a valuable campaign tool. He was the only Iowa Republican to win statewide office in 2006. Mary Mosiman also earned CPA certification. Governor Branstad indicated he wanted someone with qualifications similar to Vaudt’s.

Mosiman will complete Vaudt’s term, which expires in 2014. It is likely she will then run for election for a four-year term. Mosiman’s credentials and background will provide Republicans with a formidable statewide candidate.

A lifelong Iowan, Mary Mosiman was born and raised on a farm in Hubbard. She moved to Ames in 1980 and is a graduate of Iowa State University. Prior to becoming Story County auditor, Mary owned and operated a daycare business for more than five years. She also served as an accounting assistant for five years at ALMACO, a company that manufactures agricultural research equipment.

TheIowaRepublican.com is attending this morning’s news conference and will have full coverage of this story upcoming.