Pro-Life Update
Issue #1
So, even though abortion is legal, I think most people still expect that our government won’t actually promote abortion or fund it in any way.
If that’s what you thought, you’d be wrong.
Turns out that a drug-court counselor in Pennsylvania convinced court officials to fund an abortion for [...]
As you may have read on some other blogs this morning, there are going to be some huge changes coming to the Iowa blogosphere. Earlier this morning, Krusty announced that he is moving his blog to an exciting new Republican/Conservative website called TheIowaRepublican.com.
Battleground Iowa is pleased to [...]
As you may know if you read this blog regularly, we often give some of the folks over at the Des Moines Register a hard time when we think they are showing a left-leaning bias. But we also like to give credit where credit is due.
There was an excellent piece [...]
So, I figured there would be a lot of talk about Nancy Pelosi’s jack-in-the-box routine at the State of the Union address Tuesday night – and there was.
But, I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the sustained smarminess of Joe Biden. I know, I know, nobody messes with Joe. [...]
By Emily Geiger
Well, I suppose since it preempted regular programming on all major networks (including American Idol), President Obama’s speech is probably important enough that I should talk about it this morning.
I didn’t think there were any real surprises. It was all the old campaign promises: we’re gonna do something [...]
By Emily Geiger
I found a fascinating article yesterday about Hillary in her new role as Secretary of State. She is facing criticism from some who find her bluntness alarming.
On a recent trip to Asia, Hillary acknowledged publically that, while she would mention the human rights issue with Chinese officials, [...]
By Emily Geiger
First thing’s first... Pat Murphy... what a moron.
The second big political story of the weekend (at least for me) was the new developments in the Chandra Levy case. It seems officials are now going to arrest an illegal immigrant (who is already in prison for attacking [...]
You know the old saying, “Give ‘em an inch, they’ll take a yard?”
I can’t help but think about that when I think about the Democrat-controlled Iowa legislature this year.
The Dems have had a firm grasp on the reigns of power for quite a while now here in Iowa, and [...]
By Emily Geiger
There’s been lots of pro-life stories in the news over the last few days, but one of the biggest has to do with one of the highest ranking women in government today.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. I’m not Catholic, but you [...]
Maybe I was just in a weird mood yesterday, or maybe the world really is just full of irony. A few things in the news just struck my funny bone.
Here’s a summary:
-The signing of the $787 billion stimulus bill sent the stock markets tumbling another 300 points.
By Emily Geiger
So, do you ever read a news article and feel like there is some crucial information missing?
That’s how I felt when I read the Register’s article about the statehouse bill regarding equal pay for men and women. You’d think that would be a no-brainer, but apparently not.
Some [...]
By Emily Geiger
As I was skimming through the headlines today, I was struck by a few articles that are seemingly unrelated... at least on the surface.
The first article discussed a woman who risked her own life and safety to help others, including one little girl who became very famous despite [...]
Emily Geiger
I’ve waited to write about this because I wanted to get a feel for the public reaction to it and how much play the story would get in the media before I chipped in my two cents. I think I’ve gotten a chance to hear the full story at [...]
By Emily Geiger
So, first Chester tells us he wants to implement a 6.5% across-the-board spending cut. This means that both the spend-happy government agencies and the thriftier ones have to cut the same percentage, which, in effect, punishes the thrifty ones whose budgets have been increasing at about [...]
If President Barack Obama and Congress are hell-bent on spending more than $800 billion to revive the economy, then they should consider an economic stimulus plan that will actually work, Everyday America co-founder Bill Salier said Monday.
Salier, a former U.S. Senate candidate and a leading voice of American ideals, suggests [...]
By Emily Geiger
Another Dem Calls Chester Out on Lottery Deal
State Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald stopped just short of calling Chester a complete doofus in regard to our fearless leader’s non-plan to sell the Iowa Lottery.
According to the Register:
Fitzgerald, a Democrat who is chief custodian and investor of state government's' [...]
I’ve heard a lot of conversation on local talk radio lately about the situation with the lottery and asking the question, “Why not privatize the lottery? Aren’t conservatives for privatization? What’s the difference between privatizing the lottery and privatizing other government functions?”
I think the difference is pretty clear if [...]
By Emily Geiger
So, it looks like all those people who said that we haven’t heard the last of the lottery lease idea have been proven right. But, I have to admit that I thought Gronstal would wait more than a week after Chester said he’d given up on the [...]
By Emily Geiger
So much to say, so little time.
It’s Baaaa-aaaack
Just when you thought that the Fair Share bill was dead and buried after Chester’s veto last year, it has reared its ugly head yet again.
The Register is reporting that various union leaders are pushing the governor to support [...]
Ok, first of all, the folks over at Iowa Independent need to stop hijacking my blog just because nobody reads their crappy blog.
Second, those who hijacked my last post need to learn to not be redundant. It’s annoying.
Second, those who hijacked my last post need to learn to not be [...]
Can’t I Just Watch the Cardinals Lose in Peace?
Someone should really take a minute and explain to Barack Obama the meaning of the word “overexposed” and that it is a bad thing.
I’m a political junkie. I expect the news programs and the 24-hour cable channels to be all-Barack 24-7. But [...]
There’s been a lot of talk about Chester’s budget press conference yesterday during which he threw a temper tantrum and tried to claim that others weren’t taking Iowa’s budget situation seriously.
When David Yepsen (who has been doing a much better job at being a real reporter lately) had [...]
By Emily Geiger
Ok, I saw this yesterday and I just couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Get this... some smokers are upset at the new fire-safe cigarettes because they taste bad. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the article:
"It's nasty," said Jewell Robertson of Paducah, Ky. Or' [...]
By Emily Geiger
Ok, I saw this yesterday and I just couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
Get this... some smokers are upset at the new fire-safe cigarettes because they taste bad. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the article:
“It’s nasty,” said Jewell Robertson of Paducah, Ky. Or [...]
By Emily Geiger
I don’t believe for one second that we’ve heard the last of the “let’s sell the lottery” idea. Sure, I know Culver’s spokesman, Charlie Krogmeier, says, "There is no governor's plan to sell the lottery. There never has been."
But look at that. How carefully worded it is. [...]
It’s like clockwork, whenever a Democrat replaces a Republican in the White House the first thing they do is remove the restriction that prevents US foreign aid from funding abortions. While these actions are expected, they also hypocritical since the Hyde Amendment from 1976 prevent government funding of abortions within [...]
By Emily Geiger
For all of those Democrats out there who voted for Obama, but who still consider themselves to be socially conservative, but you give in to the pressure of your union, your family, you buddies, etc... this one’s for you.
Obama has decided to reverse the U.S. policy that [...]
Since we’re always quick to point out when he’s wrong, we feel the need to give a pat on the back to Dave Yepsen today. I know Krusty wrote about this today, too, but it’s too important of an issue to let slide and let the statehouse democrats [...]
By Emily Geiger
Fashion
First things first... I am a girl after all. Michelle’s inauguration outfit: interesting. The color and fabric were a bold choice. Not many people could pull it off. Overall, she looked nice in it, but it was slightly ostentatious, almost as if she were going for a [...]
By Emily Geiger
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day, and he made a very interesting comment. He said that, theoretically, he understood all the hubbub about Obama because he understands that the first African-American president is a big deal. But, he said, sometimes he loses sight [...]
When I was browsing through the Register’s website, a Yepsen blog entry caught my eye. It was his take on the Chief Justice Marcia Ternus’ State of the Judiciary address.
Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of things to complain about regarding the Iowa Supreme Court, but not the things [...]
Outback Bowl Perv Cam
By Emily Geiger
Wow. Looks like the University of Iowa has done a really great job of educating those associated with their athletic programs (especially the football team) about respect and sexual boundaries when dealing with young women.
Will these idiots [...]
By Emily Geiger
I have one word to describe Chester’s State of the State Address yesterday: pathetic.
It was long on fluff and short on ideas and details.
The only somewhat substantive proposal is the “let’s go $700 million into debt and repay it with gambling revenue” idea.
Let’s look at that. Culver thinks [...]
I heard a lot of news clips yesterday of the Dem leadership in the statehouse talking about selling or leasing the Iowa Lottery.
Am I the only one who thinks this whole idea to lease or sell the state lottery is absolutely ludicrous?
First, let me say that [...]
By Emily Geiger
So, Matt Strawn is the new Chair at RPI.
Was he my first choice? No.
But, I think he deserves a chance to prove himself. The guy is obviously going to do everything he can to do well. He’s got a lot riding on his shoulders right now. I think [...]
Disclaimer: In no way am I implying that the SCC members are children or kindergartners in the analogies contained in this post (unlike various state party treasurers who shall remain unnamed).
By Emily Geiger
In case you weren’t aware, tomorrow, the Iowa Republican State Central Committee will be [...]
By Emily Geiger
First thing’s first. Great article in the Register about a pissing match between the press and Culver’s office over Culver withholding several emails from an open records request... and the Register using the opportunity to remind everyone about that time when Culver couldn’t be reached because he [...]
By Emily Geiger
Say what you want about disgraced Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, that guys has more, um, guts, than anybody I know. Or maybe ego is a better word... I don’t know.
I find the whole drama of “will the Senate seat Roland Burris” to be fascinating. You’ve got race cards [...]
By Emily Geiger
One of the most interesting things that has happened because of Obama’s election is probably one of the most unexpected for Democrats.
Long story short: all the Dem dirty laundry is being aired out in the open.
First, there was the Blagojevich debacle brought about by the need to fill [...]
So the latest in the “we have to do something about the state budget right now” chorus is that maybe we should allow county and city governments to impose income taxes.
Two words: hell no.
County and city governments need to tighten their belts just like everyone else. And, given the [...]
By Emily Geiger
I’ll probably be taking some time off over the next few days, but I thought I’d leave something fun for you all to ponder. As you may know, we here at Battleground Iowa sometimes refer to our dear governor as “Buzz Lightyear.”
However, I also feel [...]
Head in the Snow, I Mean, Sand
I apologize for the lack of recent postings. I spent my weekend (starting Friday) shoveling, taking Advil, applying hot compresses to my aching muscles, shoveling, taking Advil... you get the idea.
Whenever I’ve been outside lately, the only though that comes to my mind is, [...]
By Emily Geiger
This whole budget mess Iowa is in has really been bugging me. I can’t remember how many times over the past two years, and even in recent months , that our esteemed governor, Buzz Lightyear, I mean, Chet Culver has assured us that Iowa’s budget was sound.
Take this [...]
By Emily Geiger
So, what happened to, “I’m not even being vetted.”
Vilsack whines, and he gets to be Secretary of Ag.
Hillary whines, and she get to be Secretary of State.
Wall Street whines, and they get a bailout.
Sasha and Malia whine, and they get a dog.
Are we seeing a [...]
By Emily Geiger
Yikes. I suppose it was bound to happen eventually, but after making a big splash in the state chair race by using some techy tools, Matt Strawn has spawned some detractors.
I think some of them have a point. Putting up a blog and making what is [...]
Seven years. That’s what you get for defrauding taxpayers of a few million these days. Actually, I think it’s not a bad sentence. She might have gotten more if she’d gone to trial, or the state could have bombed it, and she could have gotten off completely (Albritton, anyone, anyone). [...]
Ruth Harkin Flies in Style
So, Krusty had an interesting little tidbit over the weekend about the wife of Iowa’s junior senator. Ruth Harkin was in a corporate jet that skidded off the runway at the Waterloo airport. The jet belongs to Conoco Philips, the oil company on whose board [...]
Headline from MSNBC.com:
Obama distanced self from Blagojevich early on
Headline from Foxnews.com:
Complaint Suggests Obama Might Have Caught Wind of Blagojevich Dealings
The interesting thing is that both headlines are likely true. Regarding the MSNBC story, Obama and the scandal-ridden Illinois governor were each other’s competition in many ways. [...]
Regents Raise Tuition for State Universities
Hey look, now your kids get to pay 4.2% more to go live in an unsafe environment (where they’re pretty much on their own if they are raped, especially by a male athlete) and get indoctrinated with liberal, secular-progressive ideology. Nothing like paying more [...]
I asked a friend of mine who is more familiar with the law than I am to give a take on the same-sex marriage oral arguments yesterday. Here it is.
***
Both sides have had their say, been questioned, and now, all we can do is wait... and wait... and wait.
The oral [...]
Think they’ll make that into a license plate?
In case you’ve been living under a rock, there’s a little court case that’s going to be heard today before the Iowa Supreme Court to determine whether elected representatives or judges get to decide what marriage means in the state of Iowa.
Oral arguments [...]
1. No Chair Election this Weekend
While there was no chair election this past weekend, it was obvious that the people interested in the job thought it was at least a possibility, because it seems all of them were in attendance.
I think this is actually the best thing that could [...]
I think the big thing on everyone’s mind today (at least in the Iowa Righty blogosphere) is the upcoming State Central Committee meeting, which starts tonight and ends tomorrow.
Will there be a chair election?
That’s the question of the hour. There are conflicting reports about whether you have to give ten [...]
It is now time for all of the Iowa blogosphere to bow down before our Blogger King, Krusty.
Krusty has posted a letter that went out from the State Central Committee back in 2000 to the county chairs explaining why Gopal Krishna had basically just been ousted as Party Co-Chair.
You need [...]
By Emily Geiger
I’ve never been one to freak out when people say “Happy Holidays.” I prefer Merry Christmas, but I generally can deal. That may be changing.
So, I’m watching TV last night, and, while flipping through the channels, I stop on NBC’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting special. I’ve seen [...]
By Emily Geiger
I have to admit that one of my favorite things to do is to read other blogs. Like many of you, Krusty is one of my favorites.
I was reading his post yesterday, which had some great ideas and ways of looking at the problems facing the [...]
By Emily Geiger
When I first heard the rumblings about Obama possibly picking Hillary for Secretary of State, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. 
One side of me thought that perhaps she leaked this story because she actually wanted the job. The other side of me [...]
Last night, Deace had several guests who represent GOP county leadership from Polk’s surrounding counties. They had a roundtable discussion about several issues facing the Republican Party and what direction the party should go.
The part of the conversation I found most interesting was when Deace asked each of the four [...]
In case you were living under a rock this weekend, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal was in Iowa and spoke at the Iowa Family Policy Center dinner.
The general consensus I’ve been hearing from people is that Jindal was an impressive guy... very well spoken, obviously very intelligent, etc. Perhaps he’s not [...]
By Emily Geiger
So, I know this will be the topic everyone in the Iowa blogosphere is talking about, but it’s just too juicy of a story to pass up.
Iowa’s first lady, Mari Culver, was seen by a Des Moines Register reporter smoking in a state vehicle in violation [...]
By Emily Geiger
Krusty has an excellent response today to the recent Mike Glover-AP article in which some GOP operatives seem to be blaming social conservatives/evangelicals for being the (future) downfall of the Iowa Caucuses.
Between the original article and Krusty’s take, there are a lot of interesting tidbits [...]
By Emily Geiger
I feel the need to chime in on the controversy surrounding Des Moines School Board member Jonathan Narcisse and the recent email he sent to a student-athlete who was complaining about the state’s no-pass, no-play policy.
In case you are the one person in Iowa who hasn’t heard, [...]
By Emily Geiger
I found many of the attacks aimed against me in the comments yesterday to be quite comical. It seems some of you think I am one of the “my way or the highway” variety when it comes to politics, or that if you are not 100% pure [...]
By Emily Geiger
Perhaps some of you have heard of a certain card game with a rather impolite name. The game received this name because, if you suspect someone is bluffing, you get to call that person out and see if they are really telling the truth by saying this rather [...]
Is it just me or is President Elect Obama going to give every major liberal a position in his cabinet?
Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State? Really? Am I the only one that doesn’t think she is qualified...
Jon Corzine as Treasury Secretary?
Tom Vilsack as Ag Secretary? I’ve driven by Tom’s farm [...]
I’m absolutely speechless. Yesterday we learned that Treasurer Secretary Hank Paulson changed his mind and the bailout money will not go to purchase troubled assets, but to buy stock in banks in an effort to urge them to restore normal lending. Paulsen said his previous proposal was an ineffective way [...]
Nobody should doubt this woman’s political ability. I’m fascinated by the fact that while running on the Republican tickets she wasn’t made available to the national media, but now just days after the campaign she’s doing in-depth interviews with multiple networks. It seems that indeed the powers that be on [...]
Sign me up. There have been a number of people who have been mentioned as potential RNC chairs. While they all have advantages and disadvantages, but none will provide the vision the Republican Party needs like Newt Gingrich would.
We all know what Newt was able to do with the Contract [...]
Yesterday we learned a couple of things, first Iverson is stepping down as Chairman of the State Party, Krusty has a good write up today on that topic. We also learned that Christopher Rants will be challenged for his leadership spot. We don’t know yet when the central committee will [...]
The character assassination of Sarah Palin that is going on from staffers and insiders of the McCain campaign is ridiculous. Once again, Republicans show the world how bad we are at winning elections and how great we are in eating our own.
The McCain campaign knew they were getting someone [...]
A prostitution conviction doesn't have to keep you out of the Iowa Statehouse.
A felony conviction doesn't have to keep you out of the U.S. Senate.
Bush's electoral college victory in 2000 was bogus because of the popular vote. Obama's electoral college vitctory this year is a mandate, despite the close popular [...]
By Emily Geiger
You can call another candidate out for not having enough experience to be president and still have that candidate select you to be his vice president.
You don’t actually have to have any experience to be president.
You can tell America that you are a socialist and still be elected [...]
The only major electoral flap I’ve heard about today involved the challenge made to the voter registrations of approximately 50 Grinnell College Students by some of the leader of the Poweshiek County GOP.
Apparently, these students registered only using their mailing address, which consist of post office boxes that are [...]
By Emily Geiger
The day has finally come, so I guess it’s time for some predictions.
McCain/Obama
As we’ve said before, we don’t trust the polls in this race. There is just no way to know in this election cycle if you are counting enough or too many young voters (given the cell phone/laziness [...]
In a shocking move to attempt to not look like they are totally in the bag for Obama, the Des Moines Register has actually printed an article that appears to be somewhat critical of the Democratic nominee. And they actually did it on a day when the messiah himself [...]
By Emily Geiger
I wrote yesterday about the interview Steve Deace conducted with Democratic statehouse candidate Nita Garvin on Tuesday night.
As I said before, it was an extremely intense interview that ended with Ms. Garvin telling the listening audience that she had had an abortion.
In case you missed it, it [...]
Congratuations to Aplington-Parkersburg High School on winning $25,000 from the Henkel Corporation to help rebuild their school.
And thank you to all who took the time to vote in the online poll that determined the winner. It's great to see so many Iowans still supporting our neighbors in [...]
I made myself watch the Obama infomercial last night, and I was not at all impressed.
Obama tried to make his case for the programs he wants using examples of real Americans facing problems. The first problem with this strategy is that I really didn't find these people to be terribly [...]
By Emily Geiger
So, I happen to be in my car last night around 6:30, and I hear Deace interviewing some statehouse candidates. He's been doing that a lot lately, but these candidates happen to be democrats.
I give the first guy credit. He's running against Peter Cownie. He showed up and [...]
By Emily Geiger
The scuttlebutt in the national blogosphere over the last few days has been that certain McCain campaign officials are throwing mud at their own VP candidate. The words "whack job" and "diva" have been used.
But that's not really the story. The story is that these vicious rumors [...]
By Emily Geiger
Well, I suppose since I started this whole mess, it's time for me to chime in again. It seems this whole Kim Lehman thing just keeps escalating.
Since I first wrote about this situation almost two weeks ago, the proverbial doo-doo has hit the fan. People, including the [...]
By Emily Geiger
Ok, so I've put off writing about this for a while now, but since I can't find anything better to write about today, I will finally address the issue of Sarah Palin's wardrobe.
A story hit the news last week that the RNC had spent $150,000 on new clothes [...]
In case you missed it, fireworks could be seen over the city of Johnston yesterday afternoon. They were coming from the IPTV studios where GOP challenger Christopher Reed was taking on loooooongtime incumbent U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin.
To say that Reed was feisty would be an understatement. It's all over the [...]
By Emily Geiger
Because of the debacle that was the University of Iowa's handling of a sexual assault investigation this past year, the Regents have come our with some really tough requirements.
Sally Mason's goals for the next year include "creating a new process to investigate sexual assaults on campus, complete [...]
I've had a chance to watch most of the 2nd District Debate online, and I'll give you two of my favorite highlights.
1. When Dave Loebsack pointed to a cellulosic ethanol plant near Ottumwa (Miller-Meeks' hometown) as an example of advancement in the renewable fuels industry, only to have Miller-Meeks point out [...]
By Emily Geiger
Miller-Meeks Gets Some Press
There is a very interesting article in the Register today focusing on the congressional race in the 2nd District and profiling all of the candidates, including the GOP nominee, Mariannette Miller-Meeks.
The article discusses some of her personal history (which is very interesting), and also [...]
By Emily Geiger
Suddenly, Seymour is All Over the News
Probably the biggest local political news over the weekend was that State Sen. James Seymour was arrested for soliciting a prostitute (who, inconveniently for him turned out to be a Des Moines cop) back in 2002, on the day he came [...]
By Emily Geiger
... of an athletic program badly in need of discipline and reform, guess who is the latest Hawkeye football player to get himself arrested for alcohol-related offenses?
I'll give you a hint: his dad is really good at covering up crimes (and then claiming that the cover-up was [...]
I'm sure you have seen these but if not, its a must watch.
[...]
Don't forget to keep voting online to help Aplington-Parkersburg High School get $25,000.00 from the Henkel Corporation to help rebuild their school, which was destroyed by a tornado in May. I believe voting ends on Sunday. You can vote once per day per email address you have, [...]
Last night’s debate was by far John McCain’s best. I’ve found it really interesting watching all the pundits and listening to all the post-debate spin.
One thing people keep saying is that there was no knock-out punch by McCain. That may be true, but there sure were plenty of point-scoring [...]
Aside from picking scabs (and by the way, my post had nothing to do with expecting the party to fund Reed’s campaign, just that they shouldn’t be working against him) or talking about how certain congressional districts in Florida are filled with perverts (neither of which options [...]
I have long feared that an Obama presidency would emulate FDR’s New Deal. The size of government explodes and new government entitlement programs are created in the areas of Health Care and education. If I heard the clip of Obama correctly this morning, it could actually be much [...]
In case you hadn’t heard, there is more trouble and controversy going on at RPI this week. Iowa Defense Alliance, Hawkeye GOP, Flyover, and IDA (again) have all already touched on this.
