GED recipient and former $368,000-a-year CIETC head Ramona Cunningham with Senator Tom Harkin at the dedication of the "Tom Harkin Learning Center" at CIETC offices in October 20, 2004.
A few days ago, from the Radio Iowa blog:
Cedar Rapids businessman Steve Rathje (pronounced ROTCH-ee) flew around the state today, holding public appearances to announce he's running to be the GOP's US Senate nominee in 2008. (You can listen to his speech and news conference in Des Moines by clicking on the audio link at the bottom of the Radio Iowa story.) WHO-TV's chief photographer Mike Borland and I were the only two news-types to attend Rathje's Des Moines event. In talking with other media outlets, including Rathje's hometown Cedar Rapids Gazette, it seems none received an advisory alerting them the events would be taking place.
So, for those of you who weren't there, I'll briefly describe the event: Republican Party of Iowa vice chair Leon Mosley stepped behind a small lectern to introduce Kathy Pearson of Cedar Rapids, the president of the Iowa Federation of Republican Women. But Mosley couldn't remember the name of the group, and had to consult with a GOP staffer off to stage right to, um, get it right. (As Mosley was donning his cowboy hat afterwards, Mosley pleaded with me not to mention his mental lapse on IPTV on Sunday. Wish granted. The show for this weekend is already "in the can" -- it's an interview with former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack.)
...Mosley offered a few words of introduction for Rathje: "It's my honor and privilege to introduce Mr. Steve Rathje. Steve is from Cedar Rapids, (a) businessman. Steve believes in God. He's got all the principles, virtues and everything that Iowans stand for. Conservative. And it's an honor and a privilege for me to introduce to you Mr. Steve Rathje. He's cleaner than the Board of Health and he is from Iowa, not the Bahamas."
The Bahamas reference, as you may know, is a jab at Harkin's holiday home in the Caribbean. You may have heard about that during the unsuccessful campaigns of Greg Ganske, Jim Lightfoot and Tom Tauke -- the GOP congressman who ran against Harkin in the past.
Talk about crashing at the gate.
That just shows how utterly incompetent the Republican Party of Iowa is at fielding viable candidates for a Senate seat that should be easy pickings.
Who gives a crap about the person up against Harkin? So he's conservative, loves God, isn't corrupt, and doesn't masturbate. BFD. It doesn't matter. Don't use old jokes against Tom Harkin. Hit the MFer below the belt. That's the only way to get anybody's attention.
Harkin has money and will play dirty, so constantly kick him in the nuts. Show up at a press conference wearing a T-shirt with Ramona Cunningham and Tom Harkin on it. Accuse his wife of being a tool and employee of big oil while Harkin rants about "windfall profits" of oil companies. Explain that Tom Harkin, a few months ago, was in favor of screwing farmers by wanting to import zillions of gallons of cheap Brazilian ethanol until Bush had the idea. Point out that Harkin voted for the war in Iraq. Talk about how kids have gotten fat Fat FAT in the years that Harkin's been in Washington trying to legislate waist sizes. Mention all of Harkin's "Homeland Security" grants for $171,000 fire trucks in towns with 409 people and also saying "I happen to be a supporter of earmarks, unabashedly" while then turning around and complaining about the deficit. Also keep the drumbeat going about how Tom Harkin loves illegals.
Harkin's beatable, but only if you have some brass balls and don't mind playing down and dirty. Otherwise, Republicans like Rathje (pronounced ain't-gonna-win-evah) might as well quit wasting their time.
Look, Dave Loebsack beat Jim Leach for Congress and those two were virtually in agreement about almost everything, plus Leach was one of the few Republicans to vote against the Iraq War.
So, you Republicans, stop being nice against a pit bull like Harkin. Nobody cares about your resume. Nobody cares about your family values. Just park all that crap, buy an industrial-strength nut cup, and tape up your knuckles.
It's too bad Harkin won't be challenged by any Democrats. I still think Nicholas Johnson, if he wanted it badly enough, could be sworn in as Iowa's next Senator in 2009.
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