The Obama 2012 campaign has announced Miller will be a national co-chair for the president’s reelection effort.  Iowa Democratic Party chair Sue Dvorsky issued a written statement:

“Tom Miller has been an outstanding voice for Democrats across Iowa and we could not be more proud to see him as a national co-chair for President Obama’s reelection campaign. Coming from an important battleground state that launched President Obama on his way to the White House in 2008, Tom Miller knows better than anyone how important this election is and what needs to be done in order to win in November.” 

Here is the text of what Xi said, through an interpreter, to the crowd:

“Governor Branstad and Mrs. Branstad, Secretary Vilsack, Ambassador Locke, Governor Brownback, Governor Snyder, ladies and gentlement, dear friends — good evening. Mr. Governor, I want to thank you for your warm speech and I want to thank our friends in Iowa for holding this grand welcoming dinner for us. Here I’d like to send my best regards to everyone present and to the over three million people of Iowa. 

“Coming to Iowa brings back many fond memories. In 1985 during my first visit to the United States I visited the State of Iowa and that was my first direct encounter with the people of the United States. Mr. Governor, at that time you were the youngest governor ever in the history of Iowa. I can still remember very fondly of the meeting you & I had during that trip. At that time I was the party secretary of Zhengding County of Hebei province in China. Originally it was the commissioner of Shigiazhuang district of our province that was to head our delegation to Iowa, but he was otherwise occupied and he asked me to come on his behalf and I happily accepted that mission.

“During that trip I had my first sighting of the Missisippi River. As a young boy I had read the novels of Mark Twain and I had long wanted to see for myself the picturesque scenery of the Mississippi, so during that trip, together with my American hosts, we explored the footsteps of Mark Twain in the town of Muscatine and together we enjoyed the unequalled beauty of Muscatine at sunset, to use his words.

“And I came away from that visit very impressed from my encounters with the people of Iowa, that the people of the United States – like the people of China – are honest, warm-hearted, hard-working and a friendly people and there is a tremendous reservoir of goodwill between the Chinese and American people and we each take great interest in the other. 

“During my first trip to Muscatine I stayed with a local family for two nights and this afternoon I made a special trip to Muscatine to meet with my old friends Mr. & Mrs. Lande and Mr. & Mrs. Dvorchak and others. Here, I want to say a special word of thanks to the Dvorchaks. Thank you for traveling a few thousand miles from Florida to be with us this evening. I also know that present tonight are many other good friends that I had met at that time in Iowa. I want to say to all of you it is such a joy to meet you again. 

“And it was such a joy to meet with Mr. Luca Barone just now. At that time he was working for the Iowa Sister Cities Friendship Committee and for over half a month he was our guide and our driver. He took us to places all across Iowa and we were overwhelmed by his warmth, hospitality and dedication. I know he’s now heading a very successful firm, (SACMI USA). I’m sure his business will continue to prosper.

“I’m visiting the United States this time to help implement the important consensus that has been reached between Hu Jintao and President Obama and I’m here to help build the China/US cooperative partnership based on mutual respect and mutual benefit and I want to engage with a broad cross-section of American society to help deepen the friendship between Chinese and American people.

“Sub-national cooperation is an important foundation for China/US relations. Over these last couple of years, sub-national exchanges and cooperation between our two countries has literally flourished and Iowa stands at the forefront of sub-national cooperation between China and the United States. According to some statistics, in the last decade Iowa’s exports to China have grown by almost 13 times and a large number of Iowa businesses – the Principal Financial Group, the Pioneer seed company and others — are performing well in China and right now over 3000 Chinese students are studying in Iowa.  I also know that earlier today at the Sino-American Agriculturual Products Trade and Cooperation Symposium held in Des Moines, the two sides signed 15 soybean purchase agreements whose total value reached $4.3 billion U.S. dollars.

“I’m happy to learn that over the years Iowa has made new progress in its economic and social development. Iowa continues to lead the whole country in agriculture and other sectors, and new and emerging industries such as wind power and bioenergy are thriving and are growing rapidly in your state. I also know that the level of your residents’ education and the business environment in Iowa is one of the best in the United States and Des Moines is at the top of the rankings. I sincerely hope that in the months and in the years ahead Iowa will continue to make new and bigger achievements. I hope Iowa will take an active part in economic, trade and investment cooperation between China and the United States.  China will actively encourage our enterprises to make investments in Iowa and to contribute to the creation of local jobs.

“I’m also happy to learn that the governors of Kansas and of Michigan are also with us this evening. We’d like to work with you to increase subnational exchanges in many different areas: industry, services, emerging sectors, you-name-it.

“According to the traditional Chinese calendar, this year there will be two springs and we believe when a year has two springs it will be a year of bumper harvest. I hope, through the joint efforts of both sides, the tree of friendship between China and the United States will, like the oak trees in your state, grow and bare right fruit and benefit not only this generation, but future generations as well. 

“Now, I’d like to propose a toast to the health of Mr. Governor & Mrs. Branstad and to the health of everyone present, to our friendship and to an even better tomorrow of the China/US cooperative partnership. Cheers!”

Here is the text of Governor Branstad’s toast:

“I am truly honored to formally welcome Vice President Xi Jinping from the People’s Republic of China to Iowa.

“Thank you, Vice President Xi, for accepting our invitation to return to Iowa – and thank you for taking time to visit old friends and meet new ones.

“On July 22, 1983, I signed the formal agreement with the then-Governor Zhang Shuguang that established the sister-state relationship between the state of Iowa and the Hebei Province of China.  In my remarks during that signing ceremony, I noted that this was a ‘diplomatic milestone for the state of Iowa’ and, nearly 29 years later, I realize the deeper significance of those words and how this longstanding friendship has flourished.

“As this sister-state relationship has shown, Iowans are sincere people who have actively participated in numerous exchanges with our Chinese friends.

“We are proud of our mutual beneficial trading partnership with China and Iowa farmers are proud to harvest safe and reliable agricultural products for use by the people of China.  We hope to build upon these partnerships in related areas where Iowa leads the world, such as biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, food processing, and financial services.

“We hope that this dinner tonight and your entire visit to Iowa will foster an even deeper friendship between Iowa and China, one that will continue to grow and benefit both of our peoples.

“In 1985, when you visited me here in the governor’s office, I was in my late thirties and serving my first term as governor.  At that time, you were in your early thirties and a local party leader in Shijiazhuang.  

“I am honored to once again serve as Iowa’s governor and have this historic opportunity to welcome you back to our state.  And so many Iowans are pleased that a man that we befriended those many years ago has risen to such an important position of prominence and respect in the great nation of China.

“I would ask all of you to please join me in raising our glasses to our long-time friend, Vice President Xi Jinping and the long-lasting friendship between Iowa and China.  To our friendship.”

February 14, 2012
 
Dear Governor Branstad,
 
As an educator and as a person of faith, I share your goals to eliminate bullying and harassment of any person for any reason.  Writing this letter on Valentine’s Day is a good reminder of our call to love our neighbors as ourselves. 
 
Our goal at The FAMiLY LEADER is to speak the truth in love.  Ironically, the upcoming 7th Annual Iowa Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bis*xual, Transgender, Questioning) Youth is exchanging truth for acceptance and tolerance of harmful behavior.  As parents, we love our children so much that we do not accept or tolerate his/her desire to play dodge ball in a busy street.  If we did, that tolerance could result in serious injury or worse. 
 
In like manner, this is how I view the conference.  I have deep love and concern for the 14-18 year old students who will be attending and who may be negatively influenced by the messages they will hear at the conference.  And although I may not share their view of God’s design for sexuality, I would do everything in my power to prevent their harassment or bullying. 
 
My ongoing concern regarding this conference is the message we are sending to our youth under your title of Governor.  I can only assume when you grant the use of your title, Governor, that you approve of the conference and all of its components.  
 
For example, beyond workshops on bullying, there are vendors who will be distributing condoms and “safe” s*x kits.  I ask you, “What is the message being communicated to Iowa’s youth?”
 
In addition, the conference claims that in order to provide transgender friendly restrooms, girls will be allowed to use boys’ restrooms and boys will be allowed to use the girls’ restrooms.  It all depends upon “which gender you identify with”.  Do you think that moms and dads will approve of allowing boys to share restroom facilities with their daughters?
 
And finally, the keynote speaker is featured in the series, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”.  Do you really believe that an authentic anti-harassment conference would feature such a “keynote” speaker?
 
According to our Christian faith, the leadership displayed by this conference bears serious consequences.  Jesus warns us in Matthew 18:6 that there is high accountability for this type of leadership.  This is the main reason why I believe you should not lend your title nor your support for this conference. 
 
My Dad taught me that anyone can identify a problem but it takes a leader to present a solution.  So, in keeping with our name The FAMiLY LEADER, let me propose a solution I hope you will consider. 
 
In exchange for the removal of your title from the 7th Annual Iowa Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth, I, along with my team at The FAMiLY LEADER, would be willing to join you and your administration in the development of a privately funded, comprehensive safe schools conference with the goal of promoting healthy, safe behavior, and ridding our schools from all bullying and harassment. 
 
This conference would address the harassment that takes place against minority kids, overweight kids, skinny kids, poor kids, disabled kids, red headed kids, kids confused about their s*xuality…ALL kids!  This comprehensive approach is especially important since the Iowa Safe Schools bullying statistics show that only about 10% of bullying incidents are related to s*xual orientation, while the remaining 90% are a result of race, physical attributes, and other categories. 
 
Instead of passing out “safe” s*x kits to students, the conference could provide abstinence-based education, emphasizing healthy behavior and the healthy aspects of preventing unwanted pregnancies, STD’s, depression, and other problems resulting from sexual activity outside of marriage.
 
I believe Iowans would be proud to have a Governor-sponsored conference of this type.  The golden rule of “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” would be the message and the expectation.  Anti-bullying messages, along with abstaining from s*xual activity until marriage, would be the basis of this conference, promoting long-lasting relationships that honor God and benefit societies from generation to generation. 
 
Please feel free to contact me at your convenience to fully discuss our teaming for such a conference.  Until then, I will be praying for your leadership that honors God and our youth!
 
Sincerely,
 
Bob

Governor Branstad, the top elected Republican official in Iowa, had publicly said he hoped the state central committee would choose to elect Bill Schickel, the party’s co-chair, as interim chairman. Last week Schickel (a former state legislator & former Mason City mayor)  expressed reservations about taking the job.  Schickel ran for the job today, along with Polk County GOP co-chairman Dave Funk. TheIowaRepublican.com live blogged the meeting.  It was a contest between Schickel and Spiker, as Funk got one vote on the first ballot.

Having a Ron Paul backer as the Iowa party chair should be interesting if there’s a “brokered convention” in Tampa.  Last night, during an appearance on MSNBC, a Ron Paul advisor talked about Caucus states (like Iowa) and the delegate strategy the Paul campaign is employing.  Doug Wead, a “senior advisor” to Paul’s campaign, told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow that Ron Paul has more delegates right now than any other candidate.  Ron Paul supporters uploaded the segment to youtube. 

“Not a single delegate has been awarded from Iowa…We’re tracking this at the precint level….We think we’ve won in Iowa,” Wead said on MSNBC.

Here’s the news release the Iowa GOP sent out this afternoon about Spiker’s election:

Republican Party of Iowa Central Committee Elects New Chair

Des Moines, IA—The Republican Party of Iowa State Central Committee voted to fill the Chair vacancy created earlier this month with the resignation of Matt Strawn.

A.J. Spiker was elected to fill the remainder of the term that expires in January, 2013. Spiker, a former Story County GOP Chairman, and 4th Congressional District State Central Committee Member, is an Ames businessman.

“I am honored to be elected by my colleagues on the Committee and look forward to serving as Chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa. I will work diligently with fellow Republicans across the state to energize voters and work to elect our candidates.”

AUDIO of Democrats’ news conference.

AUDIO of Republicans’ news conference.

WHOSE JAILS?  OUR JAILS! 

by Frank Cordaro, February 2, 2012

It was bound to happen sooner or later.  A person can’t keep collecting trespassing convictions, get fined plus court costs and refuse to pay any fines before a judge will eventually send you to jail.  My arrest at the state capitol Sunday night was my fifth arrest with Occupy Des Moines.  I already plead guilty to two of those charges and was fined (which I will not pay in solidarity with the poor, who cannot).  So after a long night in the Polk County Jail “fish bowl”, Des Moines Catholic Worker and fellow Occupy Des Moines member Eddie Bloomer and I decided to take our chances when the jail court judge, who offered to roll all of our 3 outstanding trespass charges into one guilty plea.  After reviewing our past records, the judge sentenced Ed to 15 days and me to 30 days in jail.

Just before sentencing, I told the judge it was a great honor and a privilege to be arrested at the state capitol standing up for free speech and everyday she gave me in jail only helped to enhance that honor and privilege…and I meant it.

The Occupy Wall Street movement is a social movement.  And like all social movements, our ideas follow our bodies, whether we are occupying public space to exercise our free speech rights, or protesting in the streets at the G8/NATO, or risking arrest at presidential candidate offices.  We lead with our bodies, willing to put a little human equity and personal sacrifice on the line for what we believe.  We are what democracy looks like in a political system completely bought, owned, and scripted by the corporate elites – the 1 percent.

Not everyone who occupies or protests need risk arrest.  And not everyone who risks arrest need go to jail.  However, some of us do need to take our Occupy Wall Street movement into our jails and prisons. 

Why?  Because some of us need to embrace going to jail willingly to show we are not deterred by the state’s treat of imprisonment.  Because some of us need to stand in solidarity with the 2 million Americans caught up in our criminal justice system, the vast majority of whom are poor and people of color.  Because some of us need to resist the criminal justice system that not only locks people up but also makes them pay for it too!  The jail fee here at Polk County jail is $60 a day!  Most criminal court cases never go to trial.  They are little more than collection agencies for the state. 

And we need to bring our spirit of occupation into the jails not as victims of the system, but as the able organizers that we are, leading with our bodies for the cause we believe in, the concerns of the 99 percent over the ill-got  gails of the 1 percent.

WHOSE JAILS?  OUR JAILS!

P.S.  5 days into this 30 day sentence and I’m in a jail pod with 64 other inmates, most of them Hispanics awaiting deportation.  By my lights, I’m serving easy time with good and decent souls.  I’m here more or less by choice, and the system is far more severe to the very poor, blacks, and immigrants than it is to me…

Here’s a lengthy Cedar Rapids Gazette story from last fall, when WikiLeaks made a bunch of diplomatic cables public and Cardona was mentioned as having organized a hit on a rival casino owner in Mexico and being a major player in Mexico’s drug wars.  The CRG story traces Cardona back to his roots in West Liberty, Iowa.

In case you missed it, Michele Obama’s three-day tour of the country to tout her “Let’s Move” initiative brings her to Des Moines first, this Thursday.  Read the details below:

WASHINGTON – On February 9, 2012, First Lady Michelle Obama will kick off a three day, nation-wide tour celebrating the second anniversary of Let’s Move!, her initiative to solve the problem of childhood obesity within a generation. Since launching Let’s Move! on February 9, 2010, significant progress has been made to solve the problem of childhood obesity. Parents, businesses, educators, elected officials, members of the military, chefs, physicians, athletes, childcare providers, community and faith leaders and kids themselves have made substantial commitments to improve the health of our nation’s children. Through working together with Let’s Move!,  these groups have provided children with healthier food and greater opportunities for physical activity in schools and communities, helped get families the information they need to make healthier decisions, supported a healthy start in early childhood, and have worked to ensure more people have access to healthy, affordable food.  The Let’s Move! tour will highlight examples of people making changes across the country, from a single family to an entire state.

…First Lady Michelle Obama will kick off her three day national tour in Des Moines, Iowa, to highlight Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative, a private-public partnership launched in August by Governor Terry Branstad and other government and business leaders to make Iowa the healthiest state in the nation by 2016. More than 10,000 children grades 6 – 9 from Iowa schools will fill Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines to participate in a high-energy, interactive celebration of the Let’s Move! anniversary, hosted by Iowa’s Healthiest State Initiative.

Mrs. Obama will be joined by former Iowa Governor and current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Iowa Governor Branstad, as well as NASCAR racing champion and member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Carl Edwards, Olympic figure skating champion and member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition Michelle Kwan (who was recently inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame), Olympic champion gymnast Shawn Johnson, 2011 WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings, Health and Fitness Expert Bob Harper, Iowa State University Basketball coach and former NBA player Fred Hoiberg – who are all committed to helping kids embrace good health, nutrition and physical fitness.  Governor Branstad will sign a proclamation establishing February 9 as “Let’s Move! Day in Iowa” to celebrate the second anniversary. 

Pleasant Hill, IA – The FAMiLY LEADER learned that Governor Branstad has approved the use of the word “Governor’s” as part of the title of the upcoming 7th Annual Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning) Youth. 

This is an obvious change in his position.  On January 18th, a spokesman for Governor Branstad’s office told The FAMiLY LEADER that the administration was planning to contact event coordinators and request the exclusion of the word “Governor’s” from the Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth.  The FAMiLY LEADER publicly complimented the Governor’s action via an email alert.

Last week, The FAMiLY LEADER learned the Governor has changed his stance by sending a letter of support to conference personnel saying, “I support the conference and its goal of eliminating bullying and making Iowa schools safe for all students.  I do not object to you including the word ‘Governor’s’ in the conference title.”  Governor Branstad also said, “You have my very best wishes for a successful conference this year and in future years.”  Through this letter, Branstad voices his full support of the mission of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning agenda through his high praise and the lending of his official title, “Governor”, to their conference.

Bob Vander Plaats, President and CEO of The FAMiLY LEADER, says, “Governor Branstad needs to be held accountable for his support of this conference and the promotion of a very radical and dangerous left-wing agenda.” 

As a former teacher, coach, and high school principal, Vander Plaats reiterated his and The FAMiLY LEADER’s opposition to harassment and bullying of any type within a school setting.  Bob remarked, “Effective leaders in education provide safe learning environments.  However, effective educational leaders also lead with a focus on academic achievement versus agenda acceleration.  It is greatly disappointing and, frankly, disturbing that Branstad and his administration have chosen to be puppets to a far-left agenda versus being effective educational leaders.”

According to the conference website (http://iowasafeschools.org/content/view/13/82/), the mission of the Annual Iowa Governor’s Conference on LGBTQ Youth is to a) engage and educate students, educators, parents, community leaders, youth-serving professionals, policy makers, and others concerned about issues relevant to the LGBTQ community, and b) encourage networking and activism to inspire our communities to promote diversity, equality, and social justice.  The website also claims goals of eliminating bullying in Iowa schools and creating leadership opportunities for LGBTQ youth.  

According to the event’s website, about half of the attendees are students.  The FAMiLY LEADER is particularly disturbed by some of the components of the Governor’s Conference noting that special bathroom instructions are provided in the conference FAQ’s saying “transgender friendly restrooms will be available for the gender any individual identifies with”.  Parents can only conclude that their teenage daughter may well be sharing a restroom with a male who “identifies” as a female.  Also troubling is the fact that exhibitors are allowed to distribute condoms and/or safe sex kits. 

The FAMiLY LEADER does not support LGBTQ behavior and believes that a conference of this nature approves, promotes, and accelerates this behavior among students.  According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), “men who have sex with men and persons exposed through high-risk heterosexual contact account for 82% of all HIV/AIDS cases diagnosed in 2006”.  Therefore, The FAMiLY LEADER concludes that this conference is encouraging dangerous and unhealthy behavior while claiming to “provide a safe and supportive place in which to learn” as stated on their website.

The sponsors of the conference include the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA), the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB), Aviva, and Rockwell Collins.  The FAMiLY LEADER assumes that taxpayer dollars are indirectly being used to support the conference since school districts use taxpayer money for ISBA dues and ISEA is comprised of members whose salaries are paid with public funds. 

Vander Plaats commented on the irony of Branstad’s support for a left-wing agenda while former Iowa governors, Vilsack and Culver, chose to remove their title of “Governor” from the annual Governor’s Prayer Breakfast.  “Vilsack and Culver had no problem upsetting the conservative base when they removed their title from a prayer breakfast, while Branstad surrendered to political pressure and abandoned his alleged conservative principles.”  “Leaders….lead,” expressed Vander Plaats, “Branstad caved.”

Branstad was asked about BVP’s statement during his weekly news conference.  After a reporter cited the “puppet of the left-wing agenda” line, Branstad and his staff (standing in the back of the room), laughed heartily.  “I’m not a puppet to anybody,” Branstad added. “He knows better than that.”  Read more here.

Strawn was elected chairman in January of 2009.  Here’s a blog post with the background.

Last week Iowa’s Republican governor said during his weekly statehouse news conference that Strawn had done a “reasonable job” as party chairman, a less than ringing public endorsement.  Speculation now starts as to who Branstad wants to take over, and whether the RPI’s state central committee would even ratify Branstad’s choice. (You may recall that Branstad’s preferred candidate for a state senate race in the Marion area this fall was not the choice of local Republicans.) 

Other candidates for the job of state party chairman last time around were Andy Cable of Eldora (Hardin County GOP chair), Danny Carroll of Grinnell (a former state legislator who is now the statehouse lobbyist for The Family Leader), Matt Randall of Ames (former RPI treasurer), Paul Pate (former Iowa Secretary of State, former Cedar Rapids mayor), Christopher Reed (former candidate for US Senate & US congress), Gopal Krishna (he was the treasurer of the Iowa GOP in 2009) and Des Moines attorney Ted Sporer (Polk County GOP chairman back in 2009). Sporer and Krshna were running as a chair/co-chair ticket in ’09. Here’s a blog post about the January, 2009 public forum featuring all but two of those candidates.

Below are today’s official statements from a variety of notables about Strawn’s exit.

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry E. Branstad today released the following statement thanking Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn for his service to the party on behalf of Iowa Republicans:

“I want to thank Matt Strawn for his three years of leadership at the Republican Party of Iowa. Matt took over at a time when the party was in desperate shape, and rebuilt it precinct-by-precinct, putting it in the strongest position in years. Under Matt Strawn’s leadership, we defeated an incumbent governor for the first time since 1962, gained control of the Iowa House with a 60-seat majority, won six seats in the Iowa Senate, restored a strong financial standing and have surged in Republican registration. Matt’s leadership will be missed, but I am confident a smooth transition will take place at the Republican Party of Iowa and we will continue our party’s successes this November.”

DES MOINES – Sue Dvorsky, chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party, released the following statement following the announcement that Matt Strawn would step down from his position with the Republican Party of Iowa:
 
“It has been a privilege to work with Matt Strawn over the past year and half. While we don’t agree on many issues, we were able to come together and engage Iowans in the political process and lead a debate about the important issues facing our state. I wish Matt all the best in whatever comes next. We hope his successor will continue to work constructively with us on the issues where we have common ground, including the protection of Iowa’s First in the Nation status.”

(DES MOINES) – House Speaker Kraig Paulsen (R-Hiawatha) issued the following statement in regards to Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn’s departure:

“I want to thank Chairman Strawn for his work on behalf of Iowa Republicans.  His dedication to advancing conservative principles is to be commended.

“Iowa Republicans are energized and committed to expanding our House Majority and electing conservatives who work to get the economy moving forward, put Iowans back to work and give taxpayers a seat at the table.”

DES MOINES, IA – Senate Republican Leader Jerry Behn (R-Boone) today thanked Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Matt Strawn for his service and constant dedication to Iowa Republicans.

“I want to thank Matt Strawn for his service and tireless dedication to the cause of promoting our great party, its values, principles and candidates. In his three years of leadership to the Republican Party of Iowa, we experienced an electoral resurgence, a voter registration comeback and a significant increase in our party’s financial resources. I wish Matt all the best and look forward to continuing to work closely with the Republican Party of Iowa in our shared goal of electing a Republican majority in the Iowa Senate.”