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Polk County Sheriff Candidate Forum:  A Tense Night Concludes with Bill McCarthy Outrageously Going “Timothy McVeigh” on Dan Charleston (Part 1 of 2)

Polk County Sheriff Candidate Forum: A Tense Night Concludes with Bill McCarthy Outrageously Going “Timothy McVeigh” on Dan Charleston (Part 1 of 2)

Much of the story from Monday night’s forum between current Polk County Sheriff Bill McCarthy and Sheriff Candidate Dan Charleston occurred in the final minutes where, by any reasonable standard, Bill McCarthy crossed the line from aggressively campaigning to keep his job—to down-right personal slander.  We will get to that in due time, but first here is a quick re-cap of the event and the many defining differences between these two men that are at the core of this simmering race.

The Event

The forum was held in the North High School auditorium, where a large crowd left only the back few rows of seats empty, and was put on by a consortium of neighborhood groups called the “Des Moines Neighbors”.  The forum was very well run and to say interest in this Sheriffs race around Polk County is high would be an understatement—I have attended several high-profile legislative forums and debates which had a fraction of the crowd that Monday’s event had.

The mood of the audience and the two candidates onstage throughout the evening could be best described as “tense”—before exploding in the final minutes during Sheriff McCarthy’s closing statement.  While Dan Charleston kept his tone firm and relatively respectful, Bill McCarthy was repeatedly and openly condescending, dismissive, and at times insulting.  While obviously there is no love lost between the two, McCarthy’s conduct and attitude from the beginning stood out as being unprofessional and wholly unnecessary.  Now that the scene is set and you have an idea of the atmosphere—let’s move onto the substance.

Disagreements Abound

These two candidates see eye-to eye on very little, and the disagreements fit into two clear categories—1) internal department policy, and 2) what essentially amounts to political issues.

The internal department issues at hand concern promotion practices, the size and distribution of the force, and the additional $5 charge that Sheriff McCarthy has added on to the cost of receiving gun permits.  Since these issues are mainly known only to department employees and their friends and family we will not cover them in detail.  A brief summation is that Dan Charleston strongly believes the department is too top-heavy, that the promotion policy is being dealt with unfairly, and that the additional charge on gun permits should be removed.  In terms of the department’s staff allocation, Charleston has made it clear he would remove several supervisory positions and replace them with more patrols and more “boots on the ground”.  Obviously, since he is in charge of the department currently, McCarthy largely supports these things as they are.

The Political Issues

Lacking the time to reasonably go into each in detail, what follows is a surface level look–largely in their own word–at the top three hot-button issues the two candidates sparred over on this evening.

1) Illegal Immigration

Sheriff McCarthy – After being coy by saying he would “like to see some changes” in this area, though failing to mention any, he summarized his position by saying, “Local law enforcement, despite the lies you hear on the radio month after month, are not empowered to arrest people who are undocumented—or what you would call “illegal”.”  He then went on to make the case that if illegal aliens are arrested we would only “fill our jails”.

Dan Charleston—Clearly Charleston would be tougher on enforcement and he referenced the oath he took both in the military and in the Sheriff’s Department to “protect and serve”.  He went on to say, “When the coyotes bring these guys over here in two days for $1,500 it doesn’t mean we turn a blind eye to it and let everything they want to do with the cartels and the gangs we have right here in Des Moines just happen.  It means you have a duty to protect and serve the citizens you were elected by.”

2)  Traffic Cameras

Sheriff McCarthy—Supports both the concept and the expansion of Automated Traffic Enforcement, and made the point that it costs the department nothing up front for the companies to come in and set the systems up.  He called the Constitutional arguments against them misleading and summarized his position by saying, “I want to give these (the cameras) a shot, and I hope they save some lives.”

Dan Charleston—Strongly opposes the concept and practice mainly on 6th Amendment “face your accuser” grounds, and also for the fact he believes it is a ploy to generate more revenue.  He concluded his answer with, “If it was a safety issue why do they let you go 11 mph over the speed limit?…I’m sure people would rather have a patrolman out there than a camera taking pictures of them.”

3)  Stand Your Ground

Sheriff McCarthy—Does not support the legislation largely because it takes discretion away from the officers and gives it to the County Attorney.  He then added, “It’s not good legislation, on the surface it looks good…but let’s not give people a free hand to be violent and mean-spirited to others.”

Dan Charleston– When asked, “Would you support Stand Your Ground legislation?”, Charleston simply answered, “Yes I would.”

(((To go straight to Part 2 of this piece Click Here)))

 

*****To read more from Dan Charleston checkout his “3 Questions with The Conservative Reader:Iowa” from earlier this year*****

 

 

 

Iowa Senate Races: A Closer Look At The Leaners (SD 42)

Iowa Senate Races: A Closer Look At The Leaners (SD 42)

(For a complete overview of all the Iowa Senate races click here)

The Candidates

Larry Kruse (R) vs. Rich Taylor (D)

Larry Kruse has been on the Lee County Board of Supervisors since 2002, and Rich Taylor is a retired HVAC Technician for Fort Madison Iowa State Penitentiary and a former Union Steward and Treasurer

The District

Senate District 42 sits in the very Southeastern corner of Iowa.  It includes all of Lee, most of Henry, and small parts of Jefferson and Washington counties.  The Democrats start with a registration advantage of 2,408, with the breakdown being: (D- 13,344) (R- 10,936) and (NP-13,501).

The Race

Both candidates won primaries to gain their parties nomination, but the path each took was very different.  Democrat Rich Taylor somewhat surprisingly won by 15 points, while Larry Kruse demolished his opponent by more than doubling him up.

I have this seat leaning Democrat–but just barely.  Of all the 8 leaners I see this seat as most likely to go the other way.  Taylor has the advantage in registrations– and he will need every bit of it.  Kruse holds the advantage in experience and cash on hand as of July 19th ($5,402 to $3,193), and could very well pull out the victory.

Noteworthy here is that Rich Taylor is yet another Democratic Union member candidate vying for a seat in the legislature.  The amount of Union candidates representing the Democrat Party on the ballot this year is truly staggering and points to the fact they believe it may be a down year for Democrats, thus needing the Union get out the vote push more than ever, and that a collective bargaining showdown with Governor Branstad is on the horizon.

Also worth a mention, as you can see yourself by clicking the link below, is that Rich Taylor is yet another Democrat candidate whose campaign website makes absolutely no mention of issues, positions, platform, or legislative priorities.  In my book this approach is both unsettling and unacceptable, and begs the question…if you are not going to be open and accountable to your potential constituents when you are seeking their support–how in the world can you be expected to be open and accountable to them once you are in office?

Further Information

Larry Kruse – Kruse4Senate.org

Rich Taylor – RichTaylor4StateSenate.com

Iowa Senate Races: A Closer Look At The Leaners (SD 8)

Iowa Senate Races: A Closer Look At The Leaners (SD 8)

(For a complete overview of the Iowa Senate races click here)

The Candidates

Mike Gronstal (D) vs.  Al Ringgenberg (R)

Mike Gronstal is the longtime incumbent, and Al Riggenberg is a retired Air Force Colonel and former prosecutor.

The District

Senate District 8 is on the Southwestern border of Iowa and is essentially made up of the city of Council Bluffs.  Incumbent Mike Gronstal was first elected to the Iowa House in 1982.  After serving one term there he moved up to the Senate in 1986, and has been the Democratic Leader in that body for the last 15 years.  In short, he is the definition of an entrenched Democrat legis-saur (legislator+dinosaur).  The registered voter breakdown for SD 8 is (D-10,606) (R-10,020) (NP-10,720), leaving a D+586 advantage.

The Race

At the beginning of campaign season Republicans rightfully believed this year was the best shot they have had to unseat their biggest political enemy.  What has transpired since is nothing short of depressing for the Iowa GOP, and the word I hear from insiders is the chances of flipping this seat are now very low.  The reasons for the initial Republican optimism were (1) the district was almost dead even, with Independents sure to be ruffled up by Gronstal’s numerous high-profile legislative blockades, and (2) they managed to field a great candidate on paper in retired Colonel Al Ringgenberg.

To this point in the campaign, for whatever reason, Ringgenberg has failed to gain much traction.  Perhaps more importantly he has failed to generate the kind of money it would take to compete with Gronstal’s massive war-chest.  No matter how much Ringgenberg raised he was not going to be in the ballpark of Gronstal’s unbelievable $547,158.00, but there is no getting around his disappointing cash on hand number of $6,987.00 (which includes a $2,000 loan to himself).

There is still plenty of time, but the Ringgenberg campaign really needs to catch fire and take the fight to Gronstal.  If he is unable to bank some more money soon he will have a difficult time doing so with $7,000 (as of July 19th).  At the moment I unfortunately have this seat leaning strongly Democrat.  You will see by following the link below that Gronstal is yet another Iowa Democrat who has chosen to disclose absolutely nothing on where he stands on current issues or his future political goals on his website. This practice is especially shameful for a longtime Majority leader who is personally responsible for blocking Iowans from having a voice on countless issues (including tax reform and gay marriage).

Further Information

Al Ringgenberg – ColonelAl.com

Mike Gronstal – MikeGronstal.com

 

 

Latino Heritage Festival:  A Time of Celebration  & Time to Consider Who Best Serves Latinos

Latino Heritage Festival: A Time of Celebration & Time to Consider Who Best Serves Latinos

(The following piece is a guest writer contribution from Chad Brown)

Iowa’s Latino Heritage Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and has grown into the largest cultural event in our state.  This is a family event that offers something for everyone.  It is a time of celebration.  I also feel it is time to engage in an honest conversation.  I want to present my argument for why the Republican Party is the best Party to advance the best interests of Latinos in our city, state and country.

We are witnessing the progressive growth of Latino businesses in Iowa. They generate millions in sales every year and create thousands of jobs for Iowans.  Latino businesses are among the fastest growing   segments of the small-business-community in our state.  In a time of economic doldrums, we wish success on all business.

The health of the Latino business community depends on the risks taken by everyday people who want to take a chance and build something out of nothing.  This is how business has always operated in the United States.  This is the American Dream.  Small business embodies the hope of this nation to build a better life for ourselves and our children.  The Latino community has much to celebrate during the Latino Festival.

Republicans encourage the Latino community to continue their pursuit of the American Dream. We disagree with Obama that business owners don’t build their businesses.  We have countless examples in the family-owned small businesses that now face unprecedented government regulations. Republicans sympathize with the individuals who struggle day and night to make ends meet and keep their workers employed.  We share the worries of the workers who are concerned they will find themselves unemployed due to a stagnant economy.

Republicans, like Myself, are optimists. We believe this century can be a time of incredible prosperity for every single person in our country who is willing to try – if we create an environment where entrepreneurs, both in the Latino community and in all communities, can flourish.  This growth in the Latino community can be sustained by low taxes and energized by new technologies.  Prosperity for small business and workers can be reached if their businesses are unleashed through lighter regulation.  We can expand our growth through free trade with our neighbors.  We have an opportunity beyond all our expectations that is within our grasp.

The Latino community, along with all other communities, can reach unprecedented levels of success through allying the Republican Party. Every group owes itself the ability to flourish in the United States. The Republican Party has candidates who know how to encourage the growth of both large and small businesses.  Together, we can accomplish goals beyond anyone’s wildest expectations.

 

The post Latino Heritage Festival: A Time of Celebration & Time to Consider Who Best Serves Latinos appeared first on The Conservative Reader.


Iowa Senate News: Edwards plans 2 events, Stogdill wins 2 endorsements

Iowa Senate News: Edwards plans 2 events, Stogdill wins 2 endorsements

Below are links to flyers for two upcoming events for Senate candidate Dave Edwards.  If you are in his district and want to learn more about him and his positions, these are perfect oppurtunitiues to talk to him in person.

Family Fun Fest & Chili Supper!          (Adobe Acrobat required)

Fall Freedom Fest Motorcycle rally!   (Adobe Acrobat required)

Below are the official endorsements Senate candidate Vicki Stogdill has earned this week:

Iowa Family PAC endorsement           (Adobe Acrobat required)

National Federation of Independent Business Endorsement

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