Republicans Criticized By IFPC, Salier, and Other Groups
- Friday, May 1, 2009, 6:57
- Iowa, News Center
- 1,255 views
- 13 comments
There is a saying painted on one of the walls inside the Iowa Capitol building which reads, “Where law ends, tyranny begins.” Thanks to the unconstitutional action of seven Supreme Court Justices, Iowans now have to question if the rule of law will ever govern again, or if we will forever live under the tyranny of the judiciary. The resulting Constitutional crisis surrounding homosexual “marriage” has taught the people of Iowa several important lessons.
First, the court is no respecter of people, the law, or the constitution. Their willingness to force an entire state to pretend the law passed by the people’s representatives is irrelevant and their actions to force us to treat their opinion as law reveals a presumption of power that the Founding Fathers feared might one day settle in on the judicial branch.
Iowans also learned that the leaders of the Iowa Democratic Party answer to someone other than the people of Iowa. They have no interest in public opinion, compromise, common sense, or submitting to the Constitution. The leaders of the Democratic Party are only interested in serving the special interests who fund their campaigns, pushing for larger government, keeping the citizens of Iowa as far away from the political process as possible, and undermining western civilization wherever possible.
The agenda and actions of Mike Gronstal, Pat Murphy, and the Democrats in the Iowa legislature this year illustrates a huge disconnect from the majority of voting Democrats in this state. It is also inconsistent with some moderate Democratic legislators who are forced to work under their “leadership.” Hopefully, moderate voices in the Democratic Party, and Democratic legislators will work to overturn the extremists who are now in charge, so the people of Iowa can be heard.
Next, this Constitutional crisis revealed that the Republican Party of Iowa is nearly devoid of leadership. With a handful of encouraging exceptions, the Republican Party and many of the Republicans in elected office, showed no willingness to fight and very little Constitutional literacy. The official party apparatus and the Senate Republicans, by and large, failed to rally around the marriage issue. Some notable exceptions include Senator Merlin Bartz who went out on a limb to protect the county recorders who are on the front lines of this constitutional crisis. Senator Bartz worked with pro-family and pro-liberty groups to find a solution, and for that he deserves our thanks. Additionally, Senator Randy Feenstra and Senator David Johnson made speeches on the floor in defense of marriage.
While impassioned speeches and conscience clauses were important in the heat of the moment, it is exceedingly disappointing that the Senate Republicans never thought to introduce companion legislation to Representative Dwayne Alons’ House version of the Iowa Marriage Amendment. Because of that glaring oversight, Iowa citizens were forced to call on Senate Republicans to take extreme measures to bring the Iowa Marriage Amendment to the floor for a vote. We, the undersigned groups believe that much more could have been done, even in the waning moments of the session, to move the Iowa Marriage Amendment. The unwillingness of Senate Republicans to stand on principle and break with senate tradition has revealed much about the vacuum of leadership in the Senate.
Similar work was being done by pro-family and pro-liberty groups in the Iowa House. While some came along reluctantly at first, Republicans in the Iowa House did take a stand. We owe a thank you to the House Republican caucus and to folks like Dwayne Alons, Kraig Paulsen, Christopher Rants, Jodi Tymeson, Rod Roberts, Kent Sorenson, and Jason Schultz for forcing a vote on marriage in the Iowa House. Their efforts were the silver lining to the dark cloud that settled over the entire process this year.
It is amazing that as the minority party, so many Republicans showed so little awareness of the huge political advantage Democrats tried to hand them on several occasions this session. They were certainly aware of the fact that that the homosexual “marriage” case was floating along in the Supreme Court. Oral arguments were heard in the court just weeks before this session began! Why the Senate didn’t follow the leadership of the House in properly preparing is a mystery.
Worse than the absence of any strategic or political victory on this issue in the Senate is the lingering possibility that when push comes to shove, many would rather protect legislative traditions than take a stand to protect traditional marriage. The Republican “leaders” in the Senate, and their caucus, must quickly educate themselves on their Constitutional duties and make a decision to lead before the next legislative session.
If Iowa’s elected officials in both parties don’t get their act together, they won’t need to worry about their majority or minority status. They will need to begin to consider instead that they may find themselves without the votes to exist at all. The Iowa Constitution clearly states, “All political power is inherent in the people.” It’s time we the people took our political power back from those who abuse it.
Whatever happens, citizens of Iowa affiliated with both parties, who believe in and understand the Constitution, must run for office. Unless the next legislative session produces a different outcome, 2010 may be the year of the primary. After the last four months, it seems that many of the politicians who currently serve in the House and Senate are not up to the task.
Signed by,
Bill Salier – Everyday America
Danny Carroll – Iowa Family Policy Center
Kitty Rehberg – Eagle Forum of Iowa
Pastor Brad Cranston – Iowa Baptists for Biblical Values
Contact number 515-401-2488
About the Author
The Iowa Republican has written 272 stories on this site.
13 Comments on “Republicans Criticized By IFPC, Salier, and Other Groups”
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Quite frankly, this letter, posted above, is incomplete, IMHO.
The signers of the letter have laid out their criticism of what they (and I) feel went wrong, but they failed to offer a solution. They didn’t tell us what THEY think should have been done. Did they want Paul McKinley to throw a stomping fit in the well, knowing full well that he didn’t have the votes to change anything? A silly suggestion, perhaps. I, too, have been frustrated with what didn’t happen, but I understand the process well enough to know they simply didn’t have have the votes to make a difference. It’s easy to offer criticism, but it’s much more difficult to offer solutions.
Ceres,
I too realize that Senate Republicans did not have the votes to pass the marriage amendment, but if they had at least tried they would have forced the Democrats to vote on the issue. Then we would have solid proof of where each member stands. For instance Steve Sodders from Marshalltown going around saying that he supports marriage as one man and one woman but he is unwilling to to back that statement up.
Why didn’t Feenstra or Johnson introduce a marriage bill? Would they not be at fault too? This letter screams of Monday morning quarterbacking that should have been left to the caucus rooms or kitchen tables, not released to the press.
I’m extremely dissapointed, especially with Bill and Danny right now. You guys should know better!!! This is not the time to start infighting, especially in public. You really need to re-think this, if you have a problem address it within the party. All you are doing is hurting the conservative cause. I suspect there is 3rd party agitator in all this, I wonder WHO??? Think about it!!!
Timmy,
Just a few quick suggestions and questions. Have you ever talked to Steve Deace personally? Is it our role at the county/state/national level to elect Republicans no matter how liberal they are?
We at the Pocahontas Republican Central Committee last night had Steve Deace at our meeting. We had 68 people there we normally have 5-10. But this allowed the audience to come in and hear Steve out. People could have asked why some feels he only attacks Republicans, which one did. But all of this issue with Deace goes down to this. Steve doesn’t feel he can compromise on truth and his political principles because his life belongs to God. He made that very clear. So my guess is that there may be a world view difference between you and Deace. Correct if I am wrong on that though, I am open to hearing If I guessed wrong.
First of all I think I find the “worldview” comment insulting. I’m sure Steve is sincere in his beliefs and on principle I agree with him. However, his tactics are what I’m opposed to and that is the main issue most of us have with him. Also although he brags about “telling the truth” sometimes his facts do need checking. The problem is he routinely is going after the very people we need to align with if ever hope to get back in the majority and actually have a chance to do something about our issues. He has 3 hrs on a 50,000watt major radio station in THE prime time slot., not some little blogspot which is what makes this so serious. Tell me, what positive contribution has dumping on Charles Grassley, Steve King, Paul McKinley, Steve Scheffler, Matt Strawn, etc. done for the cause of conservatism? He is a divisive force and as far as I’m concerned that has only helped the Democrats and their liberal agenda!!!
Timmy, I have absolutely no expectation that Gronstal, Murphy and Culver will do the right thing. So what good does it do to appeal to their sensibilities? OTOH, Grassley, McKinley, Paulsen and Strawn are supposedly on our side and seem to be weak kneed on this issue. The RPI platform has a plank in it regarding the definition of marriage. If our own leadership is not willing to defend its platform, what good does it do to go after Democrats? We better find out where we stand on this some time, so it might as well be now. And it might be better to take the plank out of our own collective eye than to point out the speck in our neighbors? BTW, tactics really mean nothing if we are not clear about our objective. .
Jackson et al, I hate to beat a dead horse here but really what more was there that they could actually have done? Some of you seem to have lost sight of the fact that as long as Culver, Gronstal, Murphy & Atty. Gen. Miller were in charge, once the Court ruled it was a done deal. There really wan’t anything that could have been done that wasn’t tried. To blame either McKinley or Paulsen(or any of the House or Senate Republicans for that matter) for any of this is downright stupid! As far as Congressman King’s proposal of making a residency requierment, it might have actually had a chance before deace and I’m sorry to say Bill Salier jumped all over it. Culver had even said he would consider it. It would have contained this disaster to Iowa and might have bought us enough time to get the ball rolling for a constitutional amendment. It’s all a moot point now because all these out-of-state “couples are going to go back home and demand that their home state recognize their “marriage”, which will bring it to the courts of all those other states and probably end up in the US Supreme court where in all honesty it will probably be upheld. Then what, do you really think Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and President Obama will pass a defense of marriage amendment and send it back to the states to be ratified? So go ahead and dump on the Republicans now because all you will accomplish by that now virtually guarantees that the dems maintain control of the State of Iowa!!! (Maybe that is what some of you “purists” have wanted all along!)
Timmy,
I think your use of the word “purists” is insulting.
“Purist” is infinitely less insulting than for example, “rino”.
Peggy, what do you want to call people who refuse to accept the reality of the situation and do something constructive about it instead of dumping on the one party that actually has supported the cause of conservatism? I’m not pointing fingers at anyone specifically, but if the shoe fits…. We need now more than ever to rally behind our people who have been fighting the good fight. Our legislators were drug thru the wringer this session, yet there are some who think they didn’t do enough. Be thankful they held the line as much as they did. I will say it one more time for those that think losing on principle is better than winning with what we have. Losing is still losing and as long as Culver, Gronstal, Murphy are in charge things will not get any better!!! If you continue to trash our party, you will continue to play into their hands. This is why so many of us are adamant about deace and are dissapointed in folks like Bill Salier. Trust me, I have been a huge fan of Bill which is why it dissapoints me so much to see him doing what he has done. I’m no fan of Doug Gross, we need his people just as much as we need the social conservatives to win in 2010. If you want BVP(BTW, I like him), go out and work for him, but if he doesn’t become the nominee, then don’t dump on whoever is because he isn’t as conservative as you’d like. We have an opportunity to at least gain seats if not get back the House. Let’s not blow it by hanging us on a lack of perfection!!!
Michael Ryan:
” Is it our role at the county/state/national level to elect Republicans no matter how liberal they are?
We at the Pocahontas Republican Central Committee last night had Steve Deace at our meeting. ”
The answer to your question is that YES, it is your role to elect Republicans no matter how liberal they are. You indicate you are on the Pocahontas REPUBLICAN Central Committee. Who are you to work to elect if it isn’t Republicans–Democrats?
If you can’t do your job in good conscience, then you must resign.
You are free to work for any candidate you want in a primary and if you do not as a member of the Central Committee want to work for ALL Republicans–then you MUST resign.
Too bad you are fooled by Deace. At this point, he has a vested interest in making sure Democrats are elected. It makes him seem more powerful.
If anyone believes we are better off with ANY elected Democrat than any elected REPUBLICAN, they are delusional.
If you can’t find plenty to hate about Democrats with their destructive economic policies and their willingness to create unprecedented debt, you are putting your focus in the wrong place.
It is Democrats who have given us gay marriage and are protecting it.
Between the destruction Democrats have already done and the more they’re wanting to bring to our state ought to scare the daylights out of every Iowan. Maybe you want them to come back next session and give the labor unions all they want.
Maybe you want to see business and jobs move out of Iowa because Iowa is no longer business friendly.
Maybe you’re looking forward to huge tax increases to pay for the deficits Democrats have created.
Name one good thing these Democrat lawmakers have done that pleases you. I can’t think of one thing and I want them out of there, even if it means electing some RINOS. Give me a RINO to a RAT anyday–better yet, give me a conservative.
Stick to the platform and we’ll all get along, people. It’s not hard.