Monday, September 24, 2012
The No Wiggins tour bus will stop in Cedar Falls, hoping to convince the public to vote against retaining Iowa Supreme Court Judge David Wiggins.
A group hoping to oust an Iowa Supreme Court judge who ruled in favor of allowing gay marriage in the state will make a bus tour stop in Cedar Falls Tuesday. Justice David Wiggins ruled in favor of legalizing gay marriage in Iowa. He is up for retention, which means voters will decide if he will stay on the Supreme Court. In 2010, three other judges who also ruled in favor of gay marriage were ousted by voters. The NO Wiggins tour, sponsored by conservative Christian group The Family Leader and supported locally by Cedar Valley Patriots for Christ, will stop at the PIPAC Center at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 25. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal will join part of the tour, which starts today at the Iowa State …
Saturday, August 11, 2012
The three-time GOP Iowa gubernatorial candidate is organizing efforts to unseat a fourth Iowa Supreme Court justice who voted to allow same-sex marriage in the state.
An organized effort to unseat Iowa Supreme Court Justice David Wiggins -- who voted on a ruling that allowed same-sex marriage in Iowa -- was announced Saturday by Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of The Family Leader. His organization is holding a Family Leadership Summit in Waukee Saturday, billed as a way for Christian conservatives to gather and discuss what's important to them. Vander Plaats is a familiar and powerful presence in Iowa Republican politics. He has run unsuccessfully for governor three times, but two years ago was able to harness opposition to the Iowa Supreme Court's 2007 ruling that allowed same-sex marriage. That opposition ousted three members of the court who were up for retention in 2010. And his initiative …
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Citizens United and Mike Huckabee present the premiere of "The Gift of Life" Wednesday night at Hoyt Sherman Place.
Nearly four years after winning the Iowa caucuses — and derailing Mitt Romney's express train to the Republican nomination for president — Mike Huckabee is returning to Iowa in the homestretch of the 2012 caucus campaign. The former Arkansas governor and current Fox News host is providing a forum for candidates to discuss their pro-life stance. Huckabee will premiere a 60-minute documentary produced by Citizens United, called "The Gift of Life," Wednesday night at Hoyt Sherman Place in Des Moines. GOP presidential candidates Michele Bachman, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich will each give a five- to seven-minute address on pro-life issues, said Jeff Marschner, press secretary for Citizens United. All GOP presidential …
The anonymous group, Iowans for Christian Leadership in Government, targets Newt Gingrich's morals, ability to be a leader.
As Newt Gingrich works for the evangelical nod in Iowa, a shadowy group called Iowans for Christian Leaders in Government has been unleashing videos on its website, stepping up the attack on his morals and leadership abilities. The group recently released three high-production videos on its website, attacking Gingrich's personal life. Perhaps the harshest commentary is from a video posted Dec. 2 by the group. It splices together clips rehashing the former House Speaker's two failed marriages, noting that he divorced his first wife when she was battling cancer and that he tried to impeach President Bill Clinton for the Monica Lewinsky affair while later admitting he had an affair with the woman who is now his third wife. Under the video …
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Family Leader's board of directors says Romney, Paul, Huntsman and Cain are out.
The Family Leader, an influential evangelical group in Iowa, has announced that its board of directors has narrowed its choices for president, and Newt Gingrich — who came close at the group's recent presidential forum to aplogizing for cheating on his former wife — is among four candidates still in the running. The others are Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry. In a press release issued today, the group mentioned it was troubled by Ron Paul's stance that the abortion issue is best handled by the states and raised questions about Herman Cain's stance on marriage and his readiness to be president. The Family Leader was silent on how it felt about Gingrich's two divorces, including from wife No. 1, who he served with divorce …
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Protesters could not get close enough to the Des Moines church where a Republican presidential forum was being held for their message to be heard.
The 99 percent were not loud enough to get their message heard Saturday at a Republican presidential forum at one of the largest churches in Des Moines. Warned in advance by police to stay off church property, about 50 to 70 Occupy DSM protesters stood on the grass shouting slogans, but the distance and wind prevented them from being heard by audience members filing inside. "We're the 99 percent and so are you," they called to people entering the church to watch the forum staged by the Family Leader, an Iowa conservative Christian political action organization, led by unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats. "What are they saying?" asked people as they entered the forum. "I can't understand a word of what they're saying." Do…
Six GOP candidates discuss the issues before a group of social conservatives.
Six Republicans seeking the GOP nomination for president are expected to discuss social issues in a candidate forum moderated by Frank Luntz 4 to 6 p.m. today at the First Federated Church in Des Moines. The Thanksgiving Family Forum will not be televised, but Iowa Patch sites including this one will run a live blog of candidate comments. Mitt Romney isn't coming.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Six GOP presidential candidates have confirmed they will attend the forum, to be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday at First Federated Church in Des Moines. Patch will have a live blog of the discussion, so follow along.
With Rick Perry's recent debate disasters and Herman Cain's campaign fumbles, the most important question to be answered Saturday by the Family Leader's Thanksgiving Family Forum might be, "Which candidate will pick up followers Perry and Cain have lost?" All the major GOP contenders — except for Mitt Romney, who will not attend — have confirmed their attendance. And as many as 1,500 conservative Iowans wanting to know more about the people who aspire to hold the highest office in the land are expected to fill the First Federated Church of Des Moines by 3 p.m. Saturday. Steffen Schmidt, Iowa State University political science professor, expects that likely attendees will be the same kinds of people who regularly attend conservative family …
Susan Alexander
1:52 pm on Monday, October 8, 2012
Judge Wiggins voted his conscience based on the Iowa constitution. We don't need outsiders coming in with big money to tell us which judges to retain. I personally would like to see Judge Wiggins retained. But even if I was against him I still think that outside parties and big money don't belong in Iowa. We're perfectly capable of making up out own minds. more ›