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Subscribe to RSSRep. Tom Latham (R-IA) released a letter on Wednesday signaling that he would not run for Iowa's open Senate seat in 2014, which was vacated by retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA).
"The opportunity to serve Iowa in the U.S. Senate is appealing to this farm kid who grew up here, raised a family here, and helped grow a family business in Iowa. I love Iowa," Latham wrote.
"However, only 56 days ago I took an oath to 'faithfully discharge the duties' of an office with which the people of Iowa's Third Congressional District entrusted to me. I cannot in good conscience launch a two-year statewide campaign that will detract from the commitment I made to the people who elected me, at a time when our nation desperately needs less campaigning and more leadership."
With Latham not running, that would potentially give fellow Iowa Congressman Steve King a clear shot to win the GOP nomination, if he decides to mount a Senate bid.
Several weeks ago, the Karl Rove-backed American Crossroads operation said it was creating an additional outside group -- called the Conservative Victory Project -- in an effort to help the GOP nominate more electable Senate candidates.
One of the chief examples the organization cited: making sure the conservative King didn't become Iowa's GOP Senate nominee.
"We're concerned about Steve King's Todd Akin problem," Steve Law, president of American Crossroads, told the New York Times. "This is an example of candidate discipline and how it would play in a general election. All of the things he's said are going to be hung around his neck."
King is known for his right-wing positions and statements, and Latham's decision potentially increases the chances for Democrats to hold the Senate seat. However, King last year won a competitive House contest against Christie Vilsack, wife of Agriculture Secretary and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack.
It's also possible that other Republicans might decide to run for the vacated Senate seat. One name that has surfaced: Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds.
“Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds is very serious about running,” an Iowa source tells NBC News.
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Jody,
We're all waiting for your analysis. . . . Who will the Dems put up and will she/he beat King?
Jack in Portsmouthm
Since Steve King is a certified right wing nut, even if the Dems put Mickey Mouse on the ballot Steve King is going the way of the dinosaur just like all the other losers:
Mitt Romey
Jim DeMint
Newt Gingrich
Wayne LaPierre
Mitch McConnell
Sarah Palin
Rand Paul
Marco Rubio
Paul Ryan
Rick Santorum
Allen West
Bev,
I hope you're right. Somehow these nuts keep prying their way into office--and once they get in, it's so damned hard to get them out.
BTW: No one got my Dire Straits riff earlier on First Thoughts.
These right wing nuts never learn... do they?
I missed it Jack!
Once the trolls come marching in over there, I usually move on pretty quick. You still can't fix stupid! ;o)
Bev....That's the line-up for their 'star studded' CPAC.
Can't wait for that event and all the parrotted one-liners slamming Democrats in general and President Obama specifically.
Stephen King? The novelist?
Jack, Congressman Bruce Braley, democrat representing the Cedar Rapids and points north district of the state. Braley is strong on veteran's issues and a solid democrat.
"Public Policy Polling’s findings suggested that King could face the same fate in a general election as Akin. In four hypothetical matchups tested by PPP, King trailed by seven to 11 points against notable Democrats, including a 10-point deficit to former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack."
A little tea to go along with that "legitimate rape", Steve? Todd Akin will be serving.
Jack, couldn't get edit to add in #1.6 that yes, Bruce Braley can beat Steve King.
I'm surprised Latham isn't running. His district and democrat Leonard Boswell's more left-leaning area more or less merged after the 2010 census. Latham beat Boswell in Nov. The polls show that a race between him and Bruce Braley would be close actually early polls show Latham leading Braley. I think that early lead is because Latham represents a huge swath of Iowa red districts so he has more name recognition in and around the Des Moines area whereas Bruce Braley is known more in eastern Iowa.
Steve King is Iowa's GOPer House bigot representative; far right, and as whacky as Michele Bachmann; I think he endorsed her. Google him and he ranks up with a Rick Santorum on the Google Weird Gage. Very prejudiced, very anti-women, anti-gay--he's a birther. The early polls show that Bruce Braley would defeat King fairly easily. King represents the area of Iowa where the Tea Party thrives. Most Iowans, including republican legislators, have little good to say about him.
My take from this article is that he can win in his own district (especially if it was so gerrymandered), but someone electable in a district most often is unelectable statewide, unless that district is a moderate/centrist district. If he is from such a right-wing area and his house race last year against the former governor's wife was a competitive race, I would say King would have trouble in a state-wide race, right Jody?
Jody, Iowa, many thanks for enlightening us about politics in Iowa. I want to give you two thumbs up for each of your posts, but the [web] system has failed a grateful me and grateful others.
Good deal,,, bring that crazy sumbich on!
A real important question to Jody, Iowa:
.
How are our beloved Iowan farmers preparing for March 1, the National Pig Day? Farmers must have things to do for this day, right?
Thanks in advance.
So, Carl Rove is against Teabaggers running for office. Good.-
I'm down with keeping Teabaggers out of Washington, and apparently Republicans are too.
Pigotry, thanks for the votes. Rumor has it that Governor Branstad will pardon all Iowa's pigs and the farmers will vote him out of office next year in protest. Actually, I have no idea but they did have that big Bacon Festival a couple weeks ago.
anti-trust proponent. Yes, Steve King will have a difficult time in a state-wide race.
In Iowa we do not have gerry-mandered districts. Our state law mandates that redistricting maps be prepared by a nonpartisan board which is not given home addresses of current legislators; the districts must be as close in proportion and population as possible--in other words, the district cannot zig, zag and dart every which way. The map is given to the Iowa State legislature which can approve or request a new map; they can request a total of 3 maps but must accept the 3rd one regardless. Our redistricting was finished and voted on within a couple months of the new census results. First map was passed and signed by the Governor; if memory serves me, the population of each newly drawn district had about 10 as the most in difference.
Our judicial nominees are also reviewed and recommended to the Governor by a non-partisan board.
GOP Gov Branstad wanted to eliminate both those nonpartisan laws but was met with plenty of resistence from both right and left.
Second EVERYTHING Jody has said on this thread. Steve King stands barely more than zero chance in a statewide race, and Iowa's redistricting process as well as our judicial nomination process should be models for the nation.
Piggie, saw your sign, EAT MORE CHICKEN.
Dick Lugar syndrome? Lugar held the seat in Indiana for 36 years and Mourdock handed it to the Dems. Just get them talking and they'll sink themselves without firing a shot.
Thanks for clearing that up Jody, and yes the non-partisan committee mapping is the only way it should be done and should be a federal law. Maybe that should be Section 12 of the Popular Amendment Movement's Election/Campaign Finance Reform constitutional amendment at www.faircampaignreform.us. If you haven't gotten involved yet, do so immediately. You still have time to get 3/4 of the state legislatures to call for a constitutional convention before the 2014 race, or at least before the next presidential race in 2016. It is the ONLY way that we will ever get election/campaign reform passed that won't be overturned by the reactionary SCOTUS, and the only way to overturn the devastation of Citizens United. SCOTUS can't overturn a constitutional amendment and they can't prevent its passage.
Oh, BTW, we also need a constitutional amendment that all federal pay (including Congress) must be set by a non-partisan commission every four years that is formed six months prior to the National Primary Day with their pay recommendations (including all benefit packages tied to that salary) finalized no less than sixty days prior to that National Primary day. This would be similar to the pay commissions that a couple states/territories have in their constitutions.
I'm given to wonder, with the current trend of GOP vs. tea party infighting and cannibalism, if there will even be an electable "Republican" candidate by the time the election rolls around.
From what I've seen of their recent spectacle leading up to the last election cycle, I'm willing to bet there won't be anyone left who's not "FUBAR."
Witness the withered hand of Karl Rove already stirring the pot, and you may come to the same conclusion.
The Iowa system tends to get more partisan balance in its districts than exists in most of the country. King's current district only had a PVI ratinng of R+4. By contrast, Braley's district has a rating of D+5. To put it in a national context, King's District is the 204th most Republican district and Braley's District is the 144th most Democratic district in the country. Braley won his district by 17% with 57% of the vote (approximately what would be expected with Democrats winning nationally by about 1%), King won his district by 9% with 53% of the vote (again approximately what would be expected). King's problem is that the Republicans and Independents in his district are much more conservative than Republicans and Independents in the rest of Iowa (look at the caucus numbers) so his respectable performance in his district does not necessarily translate to the rest of the state.
I live in iowa and i am a moderate.None of your comments and insults have done anything to convince me that the Democratic party is the way to vote.If anything your insults and childish comments serve only to drive independants away.When your party wants to seriously present their case i will listen.Until then it's all just hogwash. i enjoyed the Bacon festival too.Make sure you come to ice cream days.
A lot of national people rip into Steve King, and yet he just beat Christie Vilsack in the election. Granted, I'm a Republican in Iowa, but I don't know a lot about Steve King. He's not in my district, so I've never voted for or against him. I was disappointed to hear that Latham isn't running, as I have voted for him. But I haven't really been fired up about him either. With the top 3 projected candidates (Vilsack, Vilsack, and Latham) all seemingly uninterested, it sounds like it's going to be a large case of the "second string". That's not to take away from Bruce Braley, merely that he doesn't have the state-wide name recognition that the other three have.
Tmess, very good analysis. I hadn't realized that about my state.
Oh, and to mention, yes, I'm a Republican, and yes, I've voted for Democrats. Vilsack, for instance, when he was governor. I liked his stance on education at the time.
I would like to nominate Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) for Beverly's list. A darling of the Tea Party, he voted against the Violence Against women Act and was quoted as saying that global warming is caused by sunspots. He is,not so affectionately, referred to as Senator Sunspot and (mo)Ron Johnson.
Prior to he's being elected in 2010 he was a total unknown in political circles in WI. Johnson is a millionaire, who billionaire father-in-law set him up in business and was his largest customer. Many of his employees qualify for Badgercare, the state's Medicaid program.
Is there something out there to indicate that Christie Vilsack is a nationally-recognized political powerhouse, a juggernaut who King took down through sheer force of will? She was a political novice and didn't even live within the district for most of her life, yet still battled King to the closest election of his career in a Republican-leaning and intensely Conservative district.
No, John B, but Christie Vilsack has a lot of name recognition and as former first-lady of the state, has some political experience, though she hasn't won any elections. I personally don't want her to win because of her husband's position in the executive branch. I believe it is a conflict of interest and disrupts the checks and balances of government.
As a former Iowan for almost 30 years I really wish that I could be as certain of King being defeated as some others in this thread appear to be. Yes he has said some incredibly stupid things and taken many insupportable positions but with the caucus system in place in Iowa his nomination on the Republican side is a virtual certainty and while Braley has a solid reputation and some name recognition outside of his district he still has some pretty big hurdles to overcome not the least of which will be fundraising. Rove and his big money pals may not WANT King but when they're presented with his nomination as a fait accompli they may decide to throw in with him anyways. Add that to the nationwide network that King has already built among the Tea Party plus just the natural advantages that an incumbent enjoys and that's potentially a lot of $$$$ that he may have at his disposal. Couple that with the lower turnout you usually see in off year elections and I can certainly see that King has at least a decent chance of winning.
I just hope for the people of Iowa's sake that I'm wrong.
Wow!..He says the GOP platform things out loud and they, Rove, turn around and villify him. Will he meet the fate, if he decides to run, of Akin and Mourdock? We can only hope!
A gift that [the gop] keeps on giving (to the DEMs).
Agreed Pigotry!
I think the GOP hasn't awakened to the fact that right-wing extremism isn't being rewarded at the voting booth.
Fortunately, the GOP interprets this as needing an even harder turn to the right,... so they go out looking for someone to the right of Ted Nugent.
What they give their voters is some kook so extreme that even Glenn Beck would hide from them.
Thanks GOP.
Keep scouring the country for these nut jobs. Even the Democrats can't lose these elections despite their best efforts.
Chilled, per an article in the local paper, when Rove said that, Iowa's Gov Branstad called Karl Rove and told him to stay out of Iowa's politics. It might be one time when Branstad wished he hadn't called. There's so much outrageous in King's comments that all the dems should have to do is run ads of his comments. Most Iowans, beyond his district, are embarrassed by him.
You're right Jody. There are so many Kingisms that he will have to defend or disavow if he runs state-wide.
chilled...what is Kingism? or just (royal) $hit from steve King?
Yup Pig.....So many pearls of right-wing wisdom from King....they must 'isms'.....
that makes me like this guy. Governing to serve the people not himself. I don't know much about him I just liked that quote.
Latham is a more moderate republican; even Iowans, except his own district, don't hear much about him, he's low-key, very conservative, usually votes conservative but, to my knowledge, is not radical or part of the Tea Party crowd.
Now that the Republican Latham isnt running, the moonbat attack mob here at First Read says nice things...if he ran for US Senate, the insults and personal attacks would be forthcoming pronto.
Will you look at that?
Little Bob *vaginal probe* in Virginia has resurrected! lol
Say, boob, didn't you promise to take 6 months off from FR after you got your ass beat last November?
You're not even man enought to stand by your own promise...
Will you look at that ? Big Feasty is back to the "vaginal probe" thing even AFTER getting a suspension !
Why are liberal posters so sexually insecure that every discussion reverts back to sexual comments and innuendo for them ? What in the hell does that have to do with a future Senate race in Iowa ??
The same, Bob, who supported the Gov Vaginal Probe for Vice President.......
That did not turn out to be.......
That would be the one! lol
He is now on his 3rd or 4th account...
Typical TeaPeople, Feisty!........They try to change the packaging, but the product is still bad.
And how would YOU know how many accounts he has had .... unless, of course, as a FIRST READ EMPLOYEE you have direct access to such knowledge ?
Ain't that the truth!
You can stick a bow on a turd, doesn't mean it still won't stink!
VERY Funny & True!! George Carlin Tells the TRUTH about "Republicans"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlKMy65dyz4
RE-3430894
VERY Funny & True!! George Carlin Tells the TRUTH about "Republicans"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlKMy65dyz4
Wow Thanks,
What a fantastic video. It proves the republicans are a bunch of immutable old bas-turds.
RE: Oldie but still so true.
Very Funny & True!! Bob Hope's description of "Democrats"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a6YdNmK77k
Beverly in Chicago has put together a very interesting list of GOP/Teabeggers. Is it not interesting that several Teabeggers on Beverly's List attended the "Teabegger Caucus Conspiracy." Who were these GOP/Teabeggers that took their 'blood oath' at their "Caucus Conspiracy?" Read Robert Draper's Book to learn which Teabeggers attended. The "Caucus Conspiracy" of January 20. 2009 is directly related to what the GOP/Teabeggers are doing to the country in 2013. Since 2011 the GOP/Teabeggers have had created 5 "Budget Battles." This is all part of what the GOP/Teabeggers 'conspired' to do on the evening of January 20, 2009. Are my fellow citizens connecting the political/economic dotes yet?
On an incredibly good day he is just a whack job of the first order. Problem is that he doesnt have a lot of good days...My entire family ( eight brothers/sisters) still live in Iowa. they cross the political spectrum but are in 100% agreement when it comes Mr. King....he is an embarrassment, sexist, racist, homophobic, clueless individual...and then it goes downhill. But, if you love the Tea he is a poster child for that out of touch segment of the dying party.
Very well said Jager! Read Robert Draper's Book. Look up Robert Draper's book on line, and read about his very well done research on the GOP/Teabegger "House Of Hoodlum's." Then come to your own conclusions.
I think the far right wing element in this country has been shown up for what it is----very poorly educated, seriously mentally troubled, hate centered people who are miserable failures at everything they tried to do. They hate themselves and everyone else, and if it weren't for federal and state welfare programs that would starve to death. King is another one of them. If you stop and think for a moment who these people listen to, it reads like the National Society of Con Artists, including Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, Sean Hannity----now look a bit deeper into their pasts and find out how many are alcoholics, drug addicts, college flunk outs, multiple failed marriages---and you'll come away amazed why anyone would pay good money to hear them tell you why you should vote Republican!!!! You have to be a loser to do it!
Well it would seem that your third-grade public school education hasn't improved you any... the usual hate-spew by the Progressive deadbeat Parasites....
Let's have a more positive outlook on things. If King is selected, he can sit in the back with Randy Paul and they can form the Senate wind bag coalition and howl together for nothing. Now there's a caucus for you. Will King bring his traveling poster board circus with him where rants in front of an empty house for C-SPAN?
Let's see who is watching who....
Launching recon probe.
"However, only 56 days ago I took an oath to 'faithfully discharge the duties' of an office with which the people of Iowa's Third Congressional District entrusted to me. I cannot in good conscience".................
Okay when did the republicans find "a" conscience much less a good one, and since when do republicans stay true to an oath? Such as the one the Senate and House members take/took for their office. Yeah I know, oath be damned, it's all about gerrymandering, voter disenfranchisement, the 1% and their constituencies nowadays, " 'Merica I hope you fail" is their motto.
Oh that's rich... you're making a moral argument against conservatives while praying to the Liar/Looter/Murderer in Chief... and his bought-and-paid-for integrity-challenged propaganda machine ha ha ha ha ha
How absurd can you be? Oh I see, your handle "H8TPARTY" says it all, 4ward.
Taxed Enough Already
Gooday
Now if we could get Chuck Grassley to retire to the nursing home for disfunctional ex-politicians that would be great!
If Rep. Latham is "clearing the way," he's doing so only after leaving some potential troubles for Rep. King. Latham's statement -- "...only 56 days ago I took an oath to 'faithfully discharge the duties' of an office with which the people of Iowa's Third Congressional District entrusted to me. I cannot in good conscience launch a two-year statewide campaign that will detract from the commitment I made to the people who elected me, at a time when our nation desperately needs less campaigning and more leadership" -- would seem to indicate that Rep. King would be much less concerned about his oath to district constituents if there is a King candidacy. But such subtleties have seemed to elude Rep. King in the past.
Can't wait for 2014... here in NC we're cleaning out the Libtards... Oblunder didn't win here.. we actually monitor our polls so that you only get to vote once (and of course you have to be alive)... and if someone (oh, like the Black Panthers) tries to intimidate voters with clubs here, they're very likely to be shot by concealed carry holders. We've taken back both houses of the legislature and sent that Socialist Bev Purdue packing... those loony tunes put the state $5 Billion in the red... and next, down goes Kay Hagan... the Libturd Senator who voted for Oblundercare and Cap and Tax... plus we're put tons of local conservatives in office all over the state... Gov McCrory has already lowered the amount and duration of unemployment... want a paycheck... get a job.... Life is definitely getting better here in the Tarheel state....
You're white sheet & hood are ready to be picked up at the dry cleaners.
King's district is fairly small, 377,000 votes cast, he received 200,000 of them. But now he has to be looked at by anywhere between 1.1 million (2010) to 1.6 million (2012) voters. That is alot of people to convince. Also, Iowan's like balance and would not go for 2 very conservative senators, not when replacing a very popular, liberal like Harkin. Plus, King is a self serving idiot.
King was elected to Congress from a very red district. There is a big difference in winning a state wide Senate race in a state that isn't wingnut red. Rove is probably right, King running for Senate would be the best thing they could do for the Democrats. I think Iowa Republicans are as far right as any and could very well nominate King.