I figured you all could use a few good laughs this weekend. First off, Tea Party Congressman Steve King (R. IA-3) will be making his decision on running for Senate soon and has noticed that his home state of Iowa has changed:
http://siouxcityjournal.com/...
U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, on Friday said the race to replace U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, will be an "uphill battle" for any Republican who runs.
"Iowa has turned a little to the left," said King, a potential candidate for the position, during a taping of public television show "Iowa Press."
King was peppered with questions about his plan to run for the seat, which Harkin is leaving next year. King said he's been meticulously examining polling data, which he declined to share publicly, in advance of announcing a decision either way.
The only other candidate in the race is U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Waterloo. - Sioux City Journal, 4/5/13
Wow, King's starting to notice that Iowa is tilting a little more to the left these days, huh? Is this a sign that he may be acknowledging that his party needs a rebranding if they ever want to win the Senate? Don't hold your breath:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/...
As he ponders whether to run for U.S. Senate, Republican Steve King isn’t moderating his views to appeal to more middle-of-the-road Iowa voters. He’s doing the opposite.
In an email to supporters today, King said he’s “living proof conservatives don’t have to sacrifice everything we believe in to win elections.”
King makes no mention of the U.S. Senate race in his email. Every email, tweet, Facebook post and comment King makes these days is closely studied, especially by other Iowa Republicans who are interested in the 2014 Senate race but are waiting for King to publicly make up his mind. - Des Moines Register, 4/3/13
It's funny because Republicans like Steve King are exactly the reason why Republicans need a rebranding. It's guys like Steve King that have guys like Karl Rove nervous:
http://www.siouxlandnews.com/...
King also took a swipe at GOP consultant Karl Rove, whose new Conservative Victory Project aims to dissuade or defeat Republican candidates who could win a primary, then lose in the general election.
In February, Steven J. Law, the president of Rove's Crossroads GPS "super PAC" told the New York Times Rove was concerned about King's "Todd Akin problem," and his "candidate discipline."
On Thursday, King fired back using similar language, saying Rove "now understands that he needs to have a little more verbal discipline."
Referring to the conservative criticism of Rove that followed the Conservative Victory Project announcement, King appeared to be ready to move on, adding "I don't know anybody in the country that defended Karl Rove. I do know many who were critical of him, but essentially that issue has drifted away, behind the rear view mirror now, where it needs to stay." - Siouxland News, 4/4/13
So King acknowledges that it would be a difficult task for someone like him to win Harkin's seat but he refuses to admit that the GOP needs to change it's ways in order to win. Hilarious. This either means that King is incredibly stupid and delusional and actually thinks that crazy conservatives like himself can actually win a state wide office or he's starting to have second thoughts about the race and instead focus on his re-election in his own district. We all know that King is the favorite among Republican voters but his delay in making his candidacy official is only hurting his party's chances and helping Congressman Bruce Braley's (D. IA-1) campaign to keep Harkin's seat in the hands of Team Blue:
Dr. David Wiltse, Political Science Professor at Briar Cliff University, pointed out the difference between Democrat Bruce Braley's decision to get in quick and King's drawn-out process.
"Clearly Braley saw an opportunity or advantage of announcing early and possibly that's for building this financial constituency and really establishing himself in the other corners of the state," said Wiltse. "Maybe King thinks he can do that more behind the scenes at this point and he doesn't need that kind of declaration." - Siouxland News, 4/4/13
By the way, Braley has been killing it on the campaign trail:
http://www.siouxlandnews.com/...
He jumped into the race right after long-time Senator Tom Harkin announced his retirement and with no one else officially running yet he's got a big head start.
Several people crowded into a small diner in Carroll during lunch time to sit and meet with congressman Bruce Braley.
"I really wanted to hear what the Congressman has to say. I'm very excited about him actually running for the seat in the senate and I just think he's got a lot of change and opportunities that he's going to offer to us." says Lou Forward who's from Glidden just down the road from Carroll, IA.
Braley spent most of the day traveling through Western Iowa. He hit up Denison shortly after his visit in Carroll. It's his first campaign tour since he announced his candidacy but certainly not his first time in this part of the Hawkeye State.
"I've spent a lot of my life in Western Iowa. I have relatives in western Iowa, lots of friends in this part of the state. So this is an opportunity for me to come back and connect, spend time visiting people about what they want in their next senator," says Congressman Bruce Braley.
This week's trip also brings Braley into the home district of the Republican considered most likely to run for Senate - Congressman Steve King. Braley insists he's not thinking about the general election yet.
"I'm not voting in the republican primary, I'm here to listen," he says.
And with no other Democrats in the race Braley is in a rush to pick up endorsements and avoid a costly primary battle. - Siouxland News, 4/3/13
Not to mention Braley had a great fundraising quarter:
http://www.usatoday.com/...
If money is a sign of strength in politics, then Rep. Bruce Braley looks hale and hearty at this early stage of his bid for the U.S. Senate.
The Iowa Democrat tweeted the news he racked up more than $1 million in the first three months of this year, along with a picture that expresses his reaction to his fundraising haul. - USA Today, 4/2/13
Now we are off to a great start but I must leave you with this word of caution from Harkin:
http://www.dailykos.com/...
Don't take Steve King lightly.
That's the warning from Sen. Tom Harkin for his fellow Iowa Democrats itching for King to jump into a statewide race.
“I've never underestimated Steve King,” Harkin told The World-Herald. “He is a smart guy. He is a tough campaigner.” - Omaha World-Herald Bureau, 3/6/13
If you'd like to get involved with the Braley campaign, you can do so here:
http://www.brucebraley.com/...