I haven't posted here in a while, but I knew this community would appreciate this.
Candidate switches parties after attack
Published: 09/18/2006 2:53 PM
By:Mike Glover - Special to The Gazette
Underscoring the brutal nature of this year's legislative elections, a Republican challenger has dropped his party affiliation after the state GOP launched a harsh assault on his Democratic rival.
Link
More follows....
Basically the state GOP in Iowa came uninvited to a small southern Iowa district and started a mail smear campaign on behalf of the Republican challenger in the race, without even telling him. The content of the ads, which accused Rep. Kurt Swaim (D-Bloomfield) of being soft on sex offenders because he had worked as a public defender, so offended Republican Kevin Wiskus, he renounced his party affiliation.
"I do want to serve as state representative from this district, but not under these conditions. As of today, I am disavowing any allegiance to the Republican Party of Iowa and declare myself an independent," said Wiskus.
Wiskus apologized to Swaim, and stuck by his values - and I think should be recognized as an honorable man and politician, no matter his political affiliation or views.
The Republican state party is predictably standing by the mailing.
More information I found later:
Another news story.
Information on the views of Kurt Swaim and Kevin Wiskus.
Another Update:
Des Moines Register Link.
Additionally, on a personal note or for other Iowans with access to public radio. They have been covering this story extensively on Iowa Public Radio (WSUI/KSUI) in my area, and that is where I first heard about it. According to an interview with Kevin Wiskus today, he has had a tremendous positive response from people all over the world, of all parties, to his decision. Many have offered to cut him a check, and one called from as far away as Italy. So those of you who viewed this positively (like me), weren't the only ones.