Thursday, February 19, 2009

A Republican Come Back? Maybe…

Michael Jordon did it, as did Lance Armstrong, Mario Andretti, and Brett Farve seems to do it on a yearly basis. They retire, and walk away from the game or sport in which they are dominate only to see those who try to fill their shoes fail miserably.

If you want to understand why Republicans in Iowa don’t have a long list of potential gubernatorial candidates, or even future legislative leaders, you need look no further than the long list of excellent legislators who have walked away, or sought higher office. People like Sandy Greiner. Chuck Larson, Jr., Jeff Lamberti, Steve Sukup, Willard Jenkins, Bill Dix, Jeff Elgin, Kitty Rehberg, Libby Jacobs, Paul Pate, Bill Schickel, Chuck Gipp, Brent Siegrist, and Dan Boddicker. And that’s just the folks off the top of my head.

With Governor Culver and the Democrats driving the state off a cliff, I wonder what the possibility of seeing some of these former legislators with plenty of gas left in the tank come back to help push back or correct the failed Democrat policies for the past few years. Maybe they don’t run for their old seats, but having them as candidate for state house, senate or statewide offices would be incredible. If that’s too much to ask for, they could be helpful in recruiting and mentoring candidates in their home areas or come to Des Moines to help our current legislators.

It might not be as farfetched of an idea as you may think. Apparently former State Rep. Sandy Greiner will be at the State Capitol today during some of the prevailing wage debate, and there are rumors out of Washington County that she has reopened her campaign account over Larry Marek’s flip-flop over labor issues.

23 comments:

  1. OKay Henderson at Radio Iowa is reporting this today:

    "Democrats in the Iowa Senate say they may push through a massive overhaul of the state's income tax system and junk the practice of allowing Iowans to deduct their federal tax bill from their income before calculating their state income taxes. More on this later"
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    What! Don't any democrats pay taxes? oh, that's right. democrats don't pay taxes.
    ---

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  2. First the gas tax, then fair share, then prevailing wage, now federal deductability, next year, they want a higher sales tax to protect the environment.

    When will enough be enough!

    I smell a 98 county landslide for Gov and a 49 state landslide for President.

    These guys are actually going to outdo Jimma "I'll be your little peanut" Cahtah.

    Think of how many homeforclosures will happen with this 50% increase in taxes taken from the poor old citizen who just had their retirement savings cut in half.

    It's cruel and unusual punishment.

    The upside is, I can stop paying my mortgate now. Obama said I don't have to do that anymore.

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  3. Come back Sandy!

    You would destroy Mary Larek

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  4. Run Sandy!

    And then elect her leader.

    We need a tough conservative that is willing to lead on these issues.

    Sandy Greiner would rock that place.

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  5. Where do I send my check?

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  6. why did she leave in the first place?

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  7. I will send a check.

    Seriously. Get her to run and elect her leader.

    We need a leader with balls.

    Sandy versus Paulsen.

    A conservative low tax republican that supports ag and small business

    versus a high tax corporate republican that bends over for the trial lawyer lobby

    S-A-N-D-Y

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  8. What about Jared Klein? Isn't he going to run again?

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  9. Sandy Greiner for governor! A true conservative that we need!

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  10. Lots of excitement over a retired legislator that might run for her old seat or some other office.

    Easy to create excitement when the current leadership does nothing to fight this massive labor takeover.

    Current leadership pushes for gas tax increases.

    Current leadership is owned by the trial lawyer lobby.

    Off to a great start.

    Lets hope Paul McKinley steps up to the plate and leads because the house leadership is a disaster.

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  11. The pro-Sandy Greiner/anti-Kraig Paulsen posts are by Brent Olson. He has been very open about his utter hatred of Paulsen for pushing the recall legislation that would put him out of a $70,000 "part-time" job. His constituents are pushing for his recall due to him being such a fraud on the county board of supervisors in Linn. Greiner is his wife's aunt. Do the math.

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  12. I like Sandy - she would have made a great National Committeewoman for Iowa Republicans. :-(

    Sandy deserves a voice in Republican politics at any level she wishes to participate.

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  13. Sandy should either replace Liary Marek again or should replace Kim Lehman...or...hey...BOTH!!!!!!

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  14. how does sandy feel about the gas tax increase?

    just having an R by your name just isn't going to cut it anymore.

    too many r's are voting for tax increases. if you can't be counted on for saying no to tax increases, then just what part of the republican platform do you represent?

    today's example: will rogers is running for polk county co-chair and he's lobbying for the gas tax increase. He's also a pro-kill guy and wants people to shut up about abortion because he's all for it. What part of the republican agenda is he for? I don't get it.

    I'm seeing several republican activists who are lobbyists being ok with the gas tax increase. some of these were ok with the eminent domain thing and pursued it actively.

    these same people wanted to increase my sales tax to improve my "destiny".

    Some of them just voted for the next sales tax increase they want to put up next year to "save my environment".

    Some of these just taxed those poor flood victims in cedar rapids so the gov can give them flood relief. But, the flood relief never goes to the flood victims. it goes to democrat bureaucrats in the RIO office IN DES MOINES! NOT IN CEDAR RAPIDS.

    I submit these folks are not republicans and we need more due diligence done during the primary to feret that out.

    the folks who want to oust kim lehman simply for being a social conservative are not even fiscal conservatives.

    what is your goal in being a republican if you hate the soco agenda of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and you can't even support the fiscal part of the agenda?

    What? I really want to know! I don't get it.

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  15. Did anyone see that the California Senate Republican caucus ousted their leader after he pushed for a gas tax?

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  16. Hang in there guys, stay pure. When we're just history, the dems will at least have to say we died with our boots on.

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  17. I would bet highly that she is against the gas tax increase. She told Marek to scale back the last two years spending increases at last saturday's ambush (Mareks own words), I mean forum. Marek was arogant enough to say she had no right to be at his forums and was out of touch. Marek falls out of touch about 2 hours after he leaves home for Des Moines each week.

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  18. Marek votes for this and I will send 100 dollars to whoever runs against him be it Sandy or Klein.

    He is a fraud who needs to be destroyed and ruined.

    But I bet GasTaxPaulsen will just want to give him a free pass since he has no fight in his bones.

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  19. Jeff Kaufmann for Minority Leader!

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  20. I second the Kaufmann for minority leader motion.

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  21. When does the senate seat come up for reelection in sandys district?I can't see her running for house if Klein plans on it. She would be pretty good senato, imho

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  22. What about Larry McKibben?

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