IFPC Action Responds to Branstad Statement on Marriage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Iowa Needs Real, Bold Leadership

11/12/08 Pleasant Hill, IA – Because one man, one woman marriage is the foundation of humankind and any healthy society, IFPC Action is calling on former Governor Terry Branstad to demonstrate bold leadership as a candidate for Governor by clearly spelling out his policy and personnel decisions, in light of the issue raised by his former Lt. Governor’s vocal support for homosexual so-called “marriage.”

This afternoon IFPC Action President Chuck Hurley said, “No society can withstand the destruction of its nucleus: the husband-wife household. We’ve heard ‘it’s the economy, stupid,’ but the very word ‘economy’ is derived from the Greek word for ‘household.’ This isn’t just a social issue.” Hurley continued, “Because the Iowa Supreme Court opinion regarding homosexual ‘marriage,’ has not been challenged by our current Governor or Legislature, all 500,000 public school children in Iowa will be forced by the government to be taught that sodomy is acceptable.” Hurley went on to say, “Our next Governor and Legislature need to stand in the gap for those children, and for the social and economic health of Iowa.”

Last Saturday evening, at the GOP’s “Leadership for Iowa” event, Branstad said, “I support giving Iowans the right to vote on the definition of marriage.” This public support for the people’s right to vote on the Iowa Marriage Amendment was a welcome addition to Branstad’s speech, but fell short of a personal endorsement of the only definition of marriage – one man and one woman – and of specific actions he would take to defend marriage.

Three days later, thousands of Republican voters received automated phone calls featuring the voice of Branstad’s Lt. Governor, Joy Corning, promoting homosexuality. If not for her-long standing connections to Branstad, the calls would have been little more than the musings of a former politician grasping for the last remnants of relevance. Because of Branstad’s recent entry into the 2010 gubernatorial primary, Corning has once again been elevated to a position of possible influence.

When asked by the Des Moines Register yesterday to clarify Branstad’s personal position on the definition of marriage, his staff declined. Apparently responding to political pressures today, the Branstad campaign issued a statement reiterating the points from his Saturday speech, saying the former Governor “supports the definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman,” and that he will “work to break the legislative roadblock” keeping Iowans from voting on the Iowa Marriage Amendment. The statement added for the first time the good news that “Governor Branstad will vote yes” when the amendment comes to the people for a vote.

The statement also pointed to his signature on the 1998 Defense of Marriage Act. Supporters of marriage remember that Senator Mike Gronstal also supported passage of the Defense of Marriage Act, but now know that he is the chief obstacle to passage of the Iowa Marriage Amendment.

In a disturbing move, Branstad’s staff welcomed his association with Corning, by saying, “despite disagreement on this fundamental issue, Joy is willing to put that aside to support Governor Branstad.” This association may cause concerned Iowans to wonder if Branstad’s defense of marriage will be vigorous or compromised.

According to Hurley, “Joy Corning would have little or no platform from which to undermine the family had she not served under Terry Branstad. Her recent actions send a clear signal that is seriously out of step with traditional Iowa values, and her association with Mr. Branstad is troubling.” He continued by saying, “Governor Branstad, we need real, bold leadership from our next Governor. To really lead, we need you to tell us exactly how you will defend the institution of marriage, like you did when you fought to repeal no-fault divorce. We need to know if you will encourage people to vote ‘No’ on the retention of the Supreme Court Justices who stepped outside their Constitutional boundaries. We deserve to know if you will distance yourself from anti-family voices like Joy Corning, or if a fifth term would once again empower people like her.”

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IFPC Action Responds To Joy Corning

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

IFPC Action Responds To Joy Corning

11/11/08 Pleasant Hill, IA – In response to media inquiries regarding thousands of automated pro-homosexual “marriage” phone calls to Iowans from former Lt. Governor Joy Corning, IFPC Action wishes to publicly thank Corning for reminding Iowans why it is such a bad idea to compromise with political figures who do not promote Iowa values. Corning, a public supporter of abortion and homosexuality, would have little or no public platform from which to undermine the traditional family if she had not served as Lt. Governor.

Corning, who has served on the board of Planned Parenthood, also partnered with former Lt. Governor Sally Pederson in signing a letter to the editor promoting homosexuality shortly after the April Supreme Court Opinion concerning the definition of marriage. The current recorded phone messages are consistent with Corning’s long-standing anti-family ideology and leftist political social agenda.

According to IFPC Action President Chuck Hurley, “She would never have become Lt. Governor without the electoral support of tens of thousands of Christians and conservatives, and we have no one to blame for this but ourselves.” He went on to say, “Joy Corning has given us another clear example of just exactly why as Christians and conservatives we should no longer sacrifice our convictions for perceived political victories. When we elect people like Joy Corning, we elevate and advance the destruction of the family.”

With the 2010 campaign now in full swing, many Iowans are beginning to pay more attention to where candidates stand on key issues. Hurley said, “We need reminders from time to time as to why personal convictions and party platforms are so important, and Joy Corning has given us a gift that punctuates the need for a new paradigm in Iowa politics.”

IFPC Action is a non-profit organization dedicated to equipping, empowering and encouraging Iowans to build communities where families are valued and strengthened.

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CONTACT:
Bryan M. English
Iowa Family Policy Center ACTION
Phone (515) 263-3495
Fax (515) 263-3498
Cell (515) 210-7475
www.ifpcaction.org

Thoughts On The Iowa GOP "Leadership For Iowa" Event

Saturday night, after many folks had spent the afternoon at the Iowa Tea Party, they again assembled at the Iowa State Fairgrounds to hear an early 2012 presidential speech from Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, and to listen to the 2010 Iowa GOP gubernatorial hopefuls. Interest was especially high as this was the first event attended by former Governor Terry Branstad as a 2010 candidate.

With marriage taking such a central role in the 2010 gubernatorial campaign, we at IFPC Action have been keeping a close eye on the race. While I wasn’t able to attend the GOP event in person, I did catch it on C-Span.

In many ways Saturday evening’s event was great for those who would like to see the Iowa Marriage Amendment passed – every GOP candidate is now on record supporting its passage.

One of the best lines early on was when Senator Jerry Behn encouraged people to help the judges who want to become legislators to clear up their schedules by voting them off the bench so they can go run for the legislature. Christian Fong also distinguished himself as a pro-family candidate by pointing out that he is the only 2010 candidate born after Roe v Wade, and that because 1/3 of his generation is missing due to abortion he takes the issue personally.

Rod Roberts proved again that he can consistently give a solid performance. He’s not the guy to deliver a hard hitting rhetorical jab, but he is steady, reliable and consistent. Christian Fong, on the other hand, can deliver a well placed zinger and make it look easy. His comment about the communists in China sweeping over the country side offering “hope and change” was well delivered. Considering that the speech was broadcast around the world on C-Span, he might now find himself the recipient of some interesting hate mail. He is starting to prove his mettle by stepping up and delivering one of the best lines of the night with a smile on his face in what was a well delivered speech overall.

The sleeper candidate in this field remains Christopher Rants. He had to go last again on Saturday – like he did at the IFPC Action Hog Roast. Even when a crowd is tired and ready to go home, he can capture their attention and deliver a speech with passion and conviction. He does a good job of taking just a slightly different tack than the other candidates and keeps his speeches interesting with stories and specific examples from his time in the legislature. Rants proved again tonight why he remains a serious contender even though most of the attention is on Branstad and Vander Plaats.

The big surprise of the evening was Terry Branstad’s performance. This was his first campaign speech in a long, long time, so some jitters and missteps are to be expected. While the event was expected by many to be Branstad’s coming out party, he obviously struggled. He never seemed to quite connect with the crowd, he stumbled over his script, and his extended pauses never generated the applause he seemed to anticipate. The silver lining for Terry Branstad is that every speech he gives from now on is sure to be better by comparison. It was encouraging to hear Branstad speak in favor of passing the Iowa Marriage Amendment, even though he had recently promised not to run on that issue. The addition of a pro-marriage component in his stump speech was a wise adjustment given the overwhelming national trend of voter support for marriage.

Due to the attention that is on the competition between Branstad and Bob Vander Plaats, it probably would have benefitted Branstad if the speeches had been delivered in alphabetical order so that there would be about as much separation from Vander Plaats as possible on this first go-round.

In what was a stark contrast, Bob Vander Plaats gave a solid performance immediately following Branstad. The expectation was that this would be the night where Branstad would challenge Vander Plaats for the “frontrunner” position. It would be hard to spin the back to back, side by side, performances into any sort of momentum changing moment for team Branstad.

Instead, Vander Plaats gave a well delivered red meat conservative call to action. He doubled down on his executive order idea, which drew loud applause. He talked about Ronald Reagan, but instead of offering the 80/20 compromise party insiders prefer, he referenced the “bold color conservative” speech and told about how Reagan said to those who want to moderate the message that they could go “their own way.” He spoke with few or no notes, seemed to keep his eyes on the crowd and delivered a speech from the heart. It wasn’t measured, and it was not calculated to appease or placate, instead he basically told the establishment to stop their whining and get in touch with their base if they want to win.

Additionally, in as much as Branstad would have benefitted from some distance between him and Vander Plaats the order absolutely benefitted Bob Vander Plaats. The contrast between the two was stark, and Vander Plaats walked away having not just survived his first encounter with Branstad, but convincingly showed that he is in it to win it.

It appears that the 2010 GOP field is now set. Unless Governor Culver receives an unexpected primary opponent, we can begin to evaluate all of our options for the 2010 election. All of the candidates, including Culver, have said they support the only definition of marriage – one man and one woman. The difference lies in what they intend to do about the April 3 court opinion.

Culver has proved he is unwilling to do anything. All of the GOP candidates say they will support and promote passage of the Iowa Marriage Amendment. Only Bob Vander Plaats has proposed specific action to reestablish the proper constitutional separation of powers through his executive order.

The question for all the other GOP candidates remains: What will you do to stand up to an out of control court? If you were Governor last April, what would you have done?

This is an important question. The people always vote to uphold the only definition of marriage when given the chance. It has now happened in 31 of the 31 states where it has been placed on the ballot. So, what happens when the people of Iowa pass the Iowa Marriage Amendment and then the State Supreme Court tries to overturn the will of the people? What will the other two branches of government do in that situation?

When the Iowa Marriage Amendment comes to the people of Iowa for a vote, it will pass. We must begin preparing now to defend it. The 2010 election is shaping up to be a watershed event for the future of our state. The institution of marriage and the authority of the constitution quite literally hang in the balance.

LUV Iowa At The Tea Party

Saturday was an interesting day for political observers and for those of us who are working toward passage of the Iowa Marriage Amendment. First on the docket was the Iowa Tea Party event held at Hy-Vee Hall, and the second was the Iowa GOP event at the Iowa state Fairgrounds. This is the first of two posts reviewing both events:

It was obvious that the organizers of the Tea Party anticipated a much larger crowd than actually showed up, but who could have anticipated that we would get a sunny day with temperatures in the 70’s on November 7^th? They were also competing with home games in both Ames and Iowa City. With those dynamics taken into consideration, the crowd that did assemble was a reflection of the drive and dedication of patriots and activists from all across the state. Several folks commented that they were in from quite a distance in order to attend both the Tea Party and the Iowa GOP event later in the evening.

As with past Tea Party events in Des Moines, the speakers were fired-up citizens rather than professional speakers. Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachman was the obvious exception to that rule, but her pre-recorded comments included an outtake that her staff failed to delete. The snafu provided a little comic relief, and actually seemed to help warm the crowd to the idea of watching a pre-recorded message. A former Iowan, Congresswoman Bachman’s message certainly had some in the crowd wondering if maybe we could make a trade with Minnesota for one of our liberal Iowa Members of Congress.

Most of the speeches were consistent with the pro-constitution, pro-liberty, patriotic Tea Party reputation that has developed over the last several months. In addition to the speakers, there were booths around the perimeter of the room hosted by a wide variety of activist groups and candidates. IFPC Action hosted a LUV Iowa Table that saw a steady stream of folks stopping by to volunteer to help pass the Iowa Marriage Amendment.

Several candidates for Governor were also in attendance, and it looked like folks took advantage of the opportunity to connect with a few of them. Christopher Rants, Terry Branstad, Bob Vander Plaats, Rod Roberts, and Christian Fong all had tables. Only Rod Roberts was at his table when I walked by, but I bumped into Bob Vander Plaats who had stopped at the LUV Iowa table while I away, and later Christian Fong stopped by the LUV Iowa table to say hello and give us a little encouragement. One other attendee of note was pro-abortion former Lieutenant Governor Joy Corning.

It is also probably worth noting that the Democrat Party of Iowa had a “Terry Loves Taxes” table. I can only imagine how hard it must have been for the poor folks who had to staff that table to sit there while many of their core convictions and party principles were held up to constitutional scrutiny. Much has been made of late over the rift in the Republican Party between conservatives and moderates, but I also get the impression from some Democrats I talk to that a similar struggle is going on within their party between more traditional centrist Democrats and the liberals that currently set the agenda. (Think of how three more rational Democrats in Congress might have saved us from the healthcare debacle that occurred Saturday night in DC.)

On his way out of the hall, what appeared to be a staffer from the “Terry Loves Taxes” table stopped by the LUV Iowa table to tell us that he thought we were promoting government intrusion by pushing for the Iowa Marriage Amendment. Even as I explained that the Iowa Constitution places political power in the hands of the people, and we are just asking for access to the process the constitution guarantees, he insisted that the courts have the final say. When I reminded him that “We The People” have the constitutional authority to override an out of control court, he was adamant that legal precedent trumps the constitution. He was wrong.

Much of the activity in Hy-Vee Hall had begun to dwindle as the last speaker for the day took to the stage. In fact, a good chunk of the crowd had left before the speeches were complete. The folks who left early missed what was without a doubt the best speech of the day.

Jonathan Narcisse is well known in the Des Moines area as the firebrand school board member who used an overwhelming pile of empirical data, and regular visits to WHO radio, to bring about sweeping reforms in just one term. He is a regular on “The Deace Group,” which airs on WHO radio every Friday afternoon, where he has built a reputation for his willingness to take on the status quo of both the left and the right.

The man who walked to the stage on Saturday was not the firebrand, or the radio personality, but instead appeared to have the quiet determination of someone who is both angry over the current state of affairs, and more than a little concerned that the people of Iowa will not wake up in time.

While his mood and tone were not typical of Jon Narcisse, his calm and measured delivery did not stop him from offering some of the hardest hitting lines of the day. Early in his speech, he said, “Iowans have placed their trust in career bureaucrats, faithless politicians, and party leaders loyal only to their private ambitions.” He followed that up with the stinging observation that, “they have betrayed our trust on issue after issue.”

His speech talked about how both parties have at times been responsible for raising taxes, growing government, ignoring immigration enforcement, and “cowering to a corrupt, privileged and runaway judiciary.” He concluded his bi-partisan indictment by saying, “So fiercely are Republican and Democratic bosses entwined with the same vested interests, championing the same misguided causes, sold out to the same compromised agenda, that only their red or blue garbs of deception distinguish them.”

After addressing the failure of past political leadership in Iowa, he shifted gears to the solutions he is promoting around the state. Narcisse is a publisher, and had with him a paper entitled “An Iowa Worth Fighting For.” The publication outlines ten steps that he claims will restore the greatness of Iowa. In his comments, he said that he has traveled nearly 10,000 miles promoting his plan. Those ten steps are:

1. Reorganizing, reducing and reprioritizing state government

2. Creating efficient, effective, accountable local government

3. Eliminating excessive taxation

4. Restoring a true free market economy

5. Instituting real education reform rooted in accountability and competition

6. Promoting a healthy Iowa

7. Restoring local control, zealously protecting private property and Constitutional liberties such as the right to bear arms

8. Making Iowa safe again, returning beat cops, practicing restitution based justice and waging a winning war on meth

9. Enforcing illegal immigration laws ending Iowa’s sanctuary status for illegals, and

10. Bringing back honest, hard working leadership with integrity to state and local governance

In classic John Narcisse style, he expands on each point in his written publication. A copy of An Iowa Worth Fighting For is available on line.

Narcisse concluded his remarks with a Frederick Douglass quote that maybe should have been used to kick off the event:

“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”

The Tea Party was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. It was encouraging to see so many people and so many organizations come together to promote liberty and to stand up for the constitution. Unfortunately, those who left early missed out on the best speech of the event.