Posted on 09/19/2007 1:31:34 AM PDT by iowamark
Robert Haus has been a Republican operative since an early age. Born and raised in rural northeastern Iowa, Haus, he graduated from Iowa State University and then got his law degree from the University of Iowa in 1988. He worked for the Iowa Senate Republican Caucus before going on to manage the 1992 re-election campaign of U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R).
Haus later managed former U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm's, R-Tex., 1996 Iowa campaign, and was a senior Iowa consultant to Steve Forbes' 2000 campaign. He made public in an interview with PoliticsIowa today that he will be serving as Iowa executive director of former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee's presidential campaign.
Why do you like politics?
"What I love about what I do is trying to communicate a message, trying to lead people, to educate our side of the story or our viewpoint in the most favorable light that we can. Not in a schlocky propaganda sense, but in a substantive, sincere way.
What I view my goal as, is to contribute, to give people a choice. This is sort of my public service."
Have you considered running for office?
"I had thought about it a long time ago, but one of my biggest problems is I'm a really bad self-promoter. I don't often like to talk about myself... [T]here is a tripwire that it takes to get over and put your name on the ballot that I deeply respect and I don't think I've got the courage to step over that."
What went wrong for Republicans in 2006?
"It was more a sign of disapproval with Republicans than approval of Democrats. And if you look at the public opinion rankings of the Democratic-controlled Congress, they're abysmal. They've not proven their case either. So I think with a few key principles we've sort of lost our way.
And one of my credos has always been, let's be Republicans. Because the Democrats can be the best Democrats there are. We can never be 'Democrat Lite.' They'll always be better [at it] than we are."
What needs to happen to improve their chances in 2008?
"We need to stand up and be proud of who we are and what we stand for... Standing around and wringing our hands isn't going to accomplish anything. Yelling at each other isn't going to accomplish anything. Let's remember what brought us all together and go forward."
What's your take on the internal battle among Republicans in the Iowa state Senate?
"That...is an internal battle for their soul. What are they going to be? Are they going to be a group of moderates who work with Democrats, or are they going to be conservatives who stand on principle?"
Which Democrat do you most respect?
"Tom Harkin. He is a masterful campaigner. I think he runs his Senate office very well and he is just an absolute pit bull. When the fur is flying, Tom Harkin is always in the middle of it somewhere. I have the utmost respect for him."
What was your proudest moment in politics?
"Probably producing the Straw Poll [through Haus' company Eagle Media]. When 10,000 people are standing up and cheering, and the confetti cannons are going off and the candidates don't want to leave the stage because they're basking in the warmth of the crowd...that was just a great achievement."
What do potential politicians most need to understand about politics?
"Know who you are. Be comfortable in your own skin. And understand that it is no walk in the park. It's a rough-and-tumble game because of the stakes, and that can be at the school board level or running for president."
What should voters understand about politics that they often don't?
"How hard they work and the sacrifices they make; family, financial, time, the sacrifices are just incredible. By and large, people get into this for all the right reasons, and so to make the decision to sacrifice all that I think is worthy of respect."
Why did you sign on with Fred Thompson?
"When I look back over his history, I see a man who rises to the occasion, a guy who has gone in and out of public service, and that's really very appealing to me. He's not a career politician, but yet when called upon or he feels like it's necessary to get involved, he does."
Who's going to be the Democratic presidential nominee?
"You'd have to say it's going to be Hillary. She hasn't made any big missteps. They're running an amazing operation. For the process, Citizen Bob would say, 'I sort of like Obama.' I think he gives a lot of hope to people who maybe have felt disenfranchised or overlooked. Young people, he's going to bring a whole new generation of people into politics. He's pretty exciting."
My dislike of Hillary is far greater than my dislike of Rudy.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
This type of thinking reminds me of those liberals who said character "wasn't anything all that important" when it came to the 1992 election.
Guess what? We got B J Clinton, and his wifey, for the next eight years.
The United States is a nation of immigrants. Throughout our history, legal immigrants have brought energy, ideas, strength, and diversity to our country, our economy, and our culture. This must continue. But in the post-9/11 world, immigration is more of a national security issue. A government that cannot secure its borders and determine who may enter and who may not, abrogates a fundamental responsibility. I am committed to:
Securing our borders and enforcing immigration laws. Amnesty is not an option and the toleration of “sanctuary cities” must end.
Reviewing our immigration laws and policies to ensure they advance our national interests.
Uniting Americans by welcoming legal immigrants willing to learn English, assimilate into our communities, and become productive citizens.
-Fred Thompson
https://www.fred08.com/contribute.aspx?RefererID=c637caaa-315c-4b4c-9967-08d864cd0791
I do not believe the intent of either side back then was to murder for reasons of a religious belief, each and every man, woman and child not only in this country but the entire world.
You’re only talking about half the problem. The political death cult of Islam is the outer force. The inner force is that about 40% of the country believes Bush is as bad as or worse than international terrorism. That’s the madness we face today. We’ll have to see which side is going to push us to that next civil war, and which side will prevail. It’s coming, and it’s only a matter of time.
You are probably correct. Just as it may take another terrible attack on us by the fanatics, it may also take a civil war to finally out and then route the America haters from within as well as from without.
It’s sad that a few thousand dead in NYC didn’t do the trick to wake America up, or at least shake the semi-informed loose from the moonbats (and let’s face it, 9/11 in the minds of that 40%+ is all but forgotten — except for those insane types that believe Dubya controlled the planes and loaded them up with explosives).
What the hell will be the reaction when somebody breaks in with a nuke and kills 10 or 100 times that number in a major city ? (probably NYC again or DC). This country is more obsessed with O.J. (again), Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Larry Craig’s “wide stance” than in demanding what is necessary from our elected officials to keep our nation safe and secure and battling international Mohammadanism (synonymous with terrorism). Those delusional folks are going to be in for a helluva shock. As far as I’m concerned, they’re aiding the enemy and helping to further their goals.
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