Santa Paul – Ron Paul to host Texas Fundraiser for RPI

~ The Iowa Republican

I know it’s only Tuesday, but since it’s the week of Thanksgiving, I thought it might make sense to do our weekly roundup early as many of you may be watching football or shopping on Friday.

Santa Paul – Ron Paul to host Texas Fundraiser for RPI

In August of 2012, now-Republican Party of Iowa Co-Chairman David Fischer, Finance Chairman Drew Ivers, and Executive Director Steve Bierfeldt, stood on the floor of the Republican National Convention and proudly awarded Ron Paul 22 of Iowa’s 28 national delegates.

It didn’t matter to them that Paul had finished in third place behind Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney in the caucuses.  They were proud to deliver Ron Paul an Iowa victory regardless of how badly it would reflect on Iowa’s First-in-the-Nation Republican caucuses.  As one would expect, Ron Paul himself remains grateful.

This holiday season, Ron Paul is attempting to give back to those who gave so unselfishly to his presidential campaign.  On Friday, December 13th, Ron Paul is organizing a Houston fundraiser to raise money for the Republican Party of Iowa.  The Eventbrite invitation promises that the event will be the “Christmas Party of the Century.”

For a donation of $250, you can attend Ron Paul’s Iowa GOP Christmas Party at the Hilton Post Oak hotel in Houston, Texas.  For an additional $1,000, you can attend a Presidential Suite Private Briefing and Reception with Ron Paul before the Christmas Party.  Both donations entitle you to have your picture taken with Ron Paul.

This isn’t the first time Ron Paul has shown his appreciation of the current leadership of the Iowa GOP.  In May of 2012, the Daily Paul organized an Iowa GOP Money Bomb.  The website wrote, “The RPI is OUR baby now. The establishment has left her on our doorstep, has stepped back and is hoping that WE will let her die.”  The site did another “money bomb” in January of 2013, and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul headlined the Iowa GOP’s Lincoln dinner this spring.

The Republican Party of Iowa could use an influx of contributions before the end of the year.  According to the Federal Election Commission, the Republican Party of Iowa has only had two months in 2013 in which they raised more than $100,000.  If that wasn’t bad enough, the party has spent more than it has raised in six of the last ten months and is just barely in the black.  Heading into 2014, the Republican Party of Iowa has raised just $46,591 more than they have spent.

You can watch Santa Paul dance by clicking here.

Not So Quick Hits…

The Christmas Candle:

I’m not an expert when it comes to the movie industry, but I thought that the movie’s performance over the weekend was solid.  Some liberal publications have called the movie a flop, but let’s not fool ourselves, this movie is not even in the same league as the latest Hunger Games or Thor installment.  The Christmas Candle, which was only available in 392 theaters, grossed $832,927 this weekend.  Not bad for a faith-based Christmas film considering it’s limited exposure.

Progress Iowa is upset about the state making progress under Branstad:

Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped again this month.  It currently stands at 4.6 percent, down from 6.1 percent when Governor Branstad took office in January of 2011.  As one would expect, the Branstad campaign was quick to trumpet the state’s success, which caused one liberal organization to sound stupid.

Matt Sinovic, the executive director of Progress Iowa, told the Des Moines Register, “Gov. Branstad needs to stop playing games with the truth and start working on behalf of middle class Iowa families.  He and his administration have tried to hide their woeful record on job creation with deceptive math, rather than spend time fixing the problem.”

I’m sure that most Iowans who read the Register’s article that included Sinovic’s quote scratched their heads like I did.  Maybe I’m a little naïve, but last I checked the unemployment rate going down was good news.

Mr. Sinovic made an appearance on WHO TV 13’s “Insiders” program with Dave Price on Sunday morning.  Sinovic continued to push the narrative that the Branstad administration has a horrible record on job creation.  If the 1.5 percent drop in the unemployment rate under Branstad is awful, then what word would Mr. Sinovic use to describe the 2.5 percent increase in the unemployment rate under Democrat Governor Chet Culver?

Perhaps my favorite part of Sinovic’s interview on WHO TV was when Price asked his to describe his definition of a progressive. Sinovic stated that a progressive is someone whose end goal is to make progress.  “We won’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” Sicovic told Price.  Isn’t Progress Iowa doing just that with Branstad and the jobs numbers?  I guess Sinovic isn’t a progressive then, he’s just another classic liberal.

Jack Trice Stadium

The $25 million gift that Iowa State University announced yesterday is a great story and a good reason for Iowa State fans to get excited.  Enclosing the south end zone will make Jack Trice look and feel like a big time facility.  My only question is whether it is a good investment in a team that is coming off a dreadful two-win season.

Even as a Hawkeye fan, I will admit that Jack Trice Stadium is my least favorite place to visit every other year.  While enclosing the south end zone would only improve the Cyclones home field advantage, you have to have butts in the seats to make it work.

There is nothing positive about a two-win season in year five of Paul Rhodes’ tenure at Iowa State.  While Rhodes seems to garner a lot of good will and media attention for his post game press conferences, his record in the Big 12 is less than stellar.

The renovation plans look amazing, but it would be more exciting if the Iowa State Football team looked more promising.  Rhodes better be careful, if he has another 2-9 season people might start calling Jack Trice Stadium – Just Twice Stadium.

National Right to Work Committee’s Iowa Activities Questioned 

Russ Choma with OpenSecrets.org has published an interesting article that could get the National Right to Work Committee in some hot water.  The source of the information is Dennis Fusaro, a former employee of the National Right to Work Committee.  The alleged infractions involve a number of current and former Republican legislators, including former State Senator Kent Sorenson.

The allegations are too numerous summarize.  You can read the article by clicking here.

Published by The Iowa Republican

Craig Robinson is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Iowa Republican. Robinson got his first taste of Iowa politics in 1999 while serving as Steve Forbes’ southeast Iowa field coordinator where he was responsible for organizing 27 counties. With over eight years of Iowa fundraising experience, Robinson has helped numerous Republican candidates implement fundraising strategies for their campaigns. His work involved organizing hundreds of fundraising events ranging from one-on-one personal donor meetings to large fundraising dinners and political rallies. This experience has given him a unique vantage point to observe most of the major campaigns in the state over the last decade. In 2007, Robinson served as the Political Director of the Republican Party of Iowa where he was responsible for organizing the 2007 Iowa Straw Poll and the 2008 First-in-the-Nation Iowa Caucuses. In 2008, he created his own campaign consulting and fundraising firm. Robinson grew up in Goose Lake, Iowa, and attended St. Ambrose University in Davenport, where he earned degrees in history and political science. He is married to Amanda, and they currently reside in Brooklyn, Iowa.