David Yepsen has an opinion piece in todays
Des Moines Register questioning the motivations and logic behind "attacks from Democrats and left-of-center groups on Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Nussle [that] have started early." Yepsen claims that all of these organizations are focused on attacks rather than conveying a "positive message". This is absolutely absurd. Here are some examples of "positive messages" from "special interest" organizations -
Living Wage Laws (AFL-CIO):
From Baltimore to Santa Monica, Calif., local union leaders and activists have helped pass more than 100 living wage ordinances since 1994. The laws cover a wide range of workers--municipal employees, those working for city and county contractors, health care workers and college and university employees. A living wage is designed to ensure low-wage workers and their families can live above the poverty level.
While a living wage helps keep working families above the poverty level, the federal minimum wage ($5.15 an hour) does not keep workers out of poverty. The inflation-adjusted value of the minimum wage is 26 percent lower today than it was in 1979 and in real dollars, $5.15 an hour minimum wage is worth just $4.42. If the minimum wage had just kept pace with inflation since 1968 when it was a $1.60 an hour, minimum wage would be $8.88 an hour in 2005.Link
Comprehensive Sex Education (NARAL):
Research shows that honest, medically accurate sex education works. "Abstinence-only" programs aren't proven effective, and some studies even show that young people who go through these programs are less likely to use contraception and protect themselves when they become sexually active. Making matters worse, many of these "abstinence-only" programs include blatantly false and inaccurate information. Young people deserve better than this - and so do taxpayers.
There is also overwhelming public support for honest sex education: 99 percent of Americans believe it is appropriate for young people to have information about STDs, and 94 percent of Americans think it is appropriate to teach young people about birth control.Link
The problem is, major media in the U.S. has an overwhelmingly conservative/centrist bias. The only way for organized labor or the reproductive rights movement to get their message out is to turn negative. These organizations invest the OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of their resources serving their members in a positive fashion. Yet, the only press they can get out of shills like David Yepsen is that they are "negative" and contribute to culture of conflict in the halls of the legislature and the governor's mansion. We need these organizations to emphasize the negatives inherent to Jim Nussle as governor of Iowa. In the past I've highlighted the inconsistent rhetoric Nussle has had concerning increases in the minimum wage. We have to keep the fire on the guy.