Iowa Liberal

This sure as hell isn’t what I’d expect from a Democrat, especially on one of the most important issues of our day, public financing.

When told of the citizen’s concerns about how corporate money was impacting elections, Gronstal told them that’s the way things work. When asked about the chance of Clean Election legislation reaching the floor he flatly said, “Not a chance.”

Gronstal then went on a rant about how “naïve” these Iowans were, thinking that big money could be removed from Iowa elections, warning that “Republicans could just outspend us (Democrats) with a 527.”

Democrats can use 527s also, but the point of public financing is to get enough money and advertising time into the candidate’s hands that he doesn’t depend on big donors, and that the 527s should be acting independently. The fact that other citizens can run ads doesn’t mean we have to allow our politicians to be bribed.

But then the guy just got plain stupid.

At some point, an older gentleman interrupted the Senate Majority Leader, saying, “You’re nothing but a Republican in Democrat clothing.”

Like a petty tyrant who has finally been called on his bad behavior the Senate Majority Leader lost it. Gronstal squared off with the older gentleman and said, “That’s the lowest blow that anyone’s ever dealt me. You can kiss my ass!”

Visibly shaken, Gronstal stormed off. He walked a short distance away from the group and then lifted his head up to the top of the Capitol and SHOUTED “F*ck You!” A large group of elementary school children were touring the Rotunda while this was happening.

Talking like Dick Cheney isn’t exactly going to prove that you aren’t secretly a Republican…

-jb

I listen to a lot of NPR. I started tuning in when I was briefly employed in Minneapolis and for my job I had to spend a great deal of my day on the road (Minnesota public radio is fantastic).  NPR segments are ideal for this type of work since they run over the course of half-an-hour and lack the frequent interruptions a commercial radio station would have. A format like this makes the time slip by much more quickly and as an added bonus you might actually learn something. Still, though, the programming sometimes leaves a lot of be desired. Despite the repeated howls of liberal bias, the hosts and guests are rarely critical of the status quo and hosts like Robert Siegel seem more content to stroke their beards than ask challenging questions.

This Onion article hits the nail squarely on it’s self-absorbed head.

In what cultural anthropologists are calling a “colossal achievement” in the study of white-collar professionals, the popular radio show has successfully isolated all 7,442 known characteristics of college graduates who earn between $62,500 and $125,000 per year and feel strongly that something should be done about global warming.

Now if you’ll excuse me I have to meet a lesbian couple for lunch at the local Ethiopian cafe where we’ll discuss whatever world music cd is popular this week.

-mg

…isn’t it kind of obvious that Gonzales is just trying to avoid being prosecuted for lying to Congress while still protecting Bush?

Everything else is irrelevant.

Is there any other way to look at his testimony? He can’t seriously think he’s doing this to keep his job.

-jb