Republican Party of Iowa 2008 State Convention to be held July 11 & 12
The 2008 Republican Party of Iowa State Convention has been scheduled for Friday, July 11 and Saturday, July 12, 2008 at Hy-Vee Hall, 730 3rd St, Des Moines.
District Presidential Caucuses will convene at Hy-Vee Hall the evening of Friday, July 11. Credentialing for the caucuses will begin at 6 p.m. and they will convene at 8 p.m.
State Convention registration begins Saturday morning, July 12, at 7:30 a.m. and runs to 8:45 a.m. with the Convention call to order promptly at 9 a.m. If you have a question about the State Convention, please contact Heather Hooper at (515) 282-8105 or hhooper@iowagop.org.
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RNC Chairman Mike Duncan to Attend Pre-Convention GOParty Picnic
To kickoff the 2008 Convention, RPI will host a GOParty Picnic from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. on Friday, July 11 at RPI Headquarters, 621 E 9th St, Des Moines (two blocks north of the State Capitol). Delegates, friends, and family are invited to attend for hamburgers, hotdogs, and all the fixings. Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan will be the guest of honor at the picnic. Duncan, a 30-year political strategist and veteran of Republican politics, was elected as the 60th Chairman of the Republican National Committee in January 2007.
The cost for the GOParty Picnic is $10 and RSVP’s are required by Noon on Thursday, July 10. Please contact Wes Peterson at (515) 282-8105 or wpeterson@iowagop.org.
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RPI State Chairman Stewart Iverson to appear on this week’s edition of Iowa Press
Republican Party of Iowa State Chairman Stewart Iverson will be a guest on this week’s Iowa Press. Joining him will be Scott Brennan, chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party.
The program will air on Iowa Public Television at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 11 and 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 13.
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From the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, July 8, 2008
McCain Campaign reaches out to Iowa
By Ed Tibbetts, Courier Lee News Service
DAVENPORT --- John McCain's presidential campaign reached out to small business owners in Iowa on Monday by criticizing rival Barack Obama for backing a federal budget they say will raise taxes on middle income Americans.
The criticism came as McCain and Obama argued over taxes and the economy.
At a news conference in Davenport, McCain's Iowa chairman, David Roederer, said the Republican presidential hopeful has a "pro-growth, pro-job-creation tax policy," while Obama voted for a 2009 budget measure in March that would raise taxes.
"Mr. Obama talks about raising the taxes on the wealthy," Roederer said. "His definition of wealthy is any business or individual who makes $32,000 a year."
Click here for the full article.
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Barrack Obama Votes to Tax Those Making As Little As $32,000
This year, Barack Obama returned to the United States Senate twice to vote in favor of a budget resolution which raises income tax rates by three percentage points for the 25, 28 and 33 percent tax brackets. This would mean a tax increase for those earning as little as $32,000.
While Barack Obama campaigns on a promise of no tax hikes for anyone but the rich, we once again find that his words are empty when it comes time to act. In both March and June, Barack Obama could have put the force of his vote behind his words. Instead, he decided that "rich" now means those making just $32,000 per year.
Over the past several weeks, Barack Obama has made it increasingly difficult to take him at his word on anything. After pledging to accept public financing, he decided not to. After saying he would debate "anywhere, anytime," he decided against participating in any of the ten joint town hall meetings. After backing the D.C. handgun ban, he now says it was unconstitutional. After pledging to filibuster the FISA bill, he voted for it. He is running ads taking credit for welfare reform that he opposed. He is claiming to be bipartisan even though he has never voted against his party on any major issue. He has backtracked on trade. He has backtracked on abortion. And last week for the space of several hours, he held the position that he would listen to our commanders in Iraq if they say we need to stay longer to secure the gains of the surge.
All this political "refining" has resulted in a credibility gap. Since we can no longer simply take Barack Obama at his word, we are left to examine his actions.
Based on his actions and votes, Barack Obama is going to raise taxes on nearly every American. If you make over $32,000 per year, Barack Obama has voted to raise your taxes. If you own stocks, Barack Obama has a plan to raise your taxes. During the primary, he proposed lifting the cap on income subject to Social Security taxation. He has proposed to repeat the failed Windfall Profits Tax and new taxes on natural gas and coal. He is going to raise taxes on small businesses. There is no group rich, poor or other who will not be adversely impacted by his tax increases.
Even more troubling, Barack Obama has proposed increasing Washington spending and expanding government programs while failing to outline how he will pay for his proposals. Where will Barack Obama make up the difference? Unfortunately, we already know the answer. If we ignore his words and look at his record, he will not hesitate to tax any Americans at any income level.
This is a question of credibility. And on ensuring that we can grow our economy by keeping taxes low and more money in the pockets of taxpayers, Barack Obama's record of action shows that his words are empty.
