Branstad says Cruz employed ‘unethical and unfair’ tactics Monday night (AUDIO)

Radio Iowa ^ | 02/04/16 | O. Kay Henderson

[Enlightened1]

Governor Terry Branstad is crediting Ted Cruz for running an "old-fashioned", 99-county campaign that yielded victory in Monday night's Iowa Caucuses, but Branstad is joining the chorus criticizing Cruz for "questionable" campaign tactics.

"This thing that they distributed on Caucus night saying that Dr. Carson was likely to drop out and his supporters should support Cruz, that is, I think, unethical and unfair," Branstad said this morning. "I think there'll be repercussions to that."

Cruz has apologized to Carson, the retired neurosurgeon who finished fourth in the Caucuses on Monday night. Iowa Congressman Steve King, a Cruz backer, helped spread the drop out rumor and Branstad said King owes Carson an apology.

"You know, we have a strong sense of fairness in Iowa," Branstad said during an interview with Radio Iowa. "Distributing information that was not true about a candidate right at the time people are voting in the Caucuses is an inappropriate thing."

King tweeted: "Carson looks like he's out" on Caucus night. King has told reporters in Washington, D.C. he had an "obligation" to tell Iowans about a report he'd seen indicating Carson was flying home to Florida Monday night rather than going to New Hampshire. Branstad is not out personally recruiting a Republican to challenge King in a primary this June.

"Yet I think there are a number of people in the renewable fuels industry that are not happy with (King)," Branstad says. "I guess time will tell what happens."

Branstad is a critic of Cruz's opposition to the federal ethanol production mandate. Two weeks before the Caucuses Branstad said he hoped Cruz would be defeated -- a move Congressman King blasted as a "de facto endorsement" of Donald Trump.

[justlittleoleme]

Because Branstad loves him some ethanol subsidy Trump.

[txnativegop]

Posting this really? Like I have not seen the last 50 on this topic.

[Durbin]

Sounds like he’s still mad because his fellow Iowans went for Cruz over his endorsement of Trump.

[Jewbacca]

King Korn is angry that his subjects did not bow before him.

[GodGunsGuts]

Way to use your office to interfere with the Republican primary!

[gov_bean_ counter]

Still waiting for the masses to come forward with how they changed their vote based on this information...

[The_Victor]

Politics is a blood sport. You don’t take the field in an NFL game and whine about how hard they hit. Pull up your big boy pants or take a seat on the sideline.

[dynoman]

Denial is a dirty river running strong and deep here on FR.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

So Cruz is pretty much OK, having visited all 99 counties, ohn and there’s that thing about winning, but because he’s anti-ethanol, he’s a skunk?

What a miserable POS.

[Jane Long]

Interesting that Branstad is voicing concern over the dirty tricks now, too. Maybe the voters in IA will have a say.

[Durbin]

“Still waiting for the masses to come forward with how they changed their vote based on this information...”

We have a better chance of that than we do of Trump debating Cruz one on one.

[scooby321]

King won’t have Sarah Palin to save his bacon this time

[conservativejoy]

Branstad should go guzzle some more ethanol.

[pgyanke]

Because Branstad is an unbiased observer... not.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

Can someone get the hook for this jerk?

Or at least turn the spotlight off, so he's standing on a darkened stage.

[SeekAndFind]

Article Link: http://www.redstate.com/leon_h_wolf/2016/02/03/ben-carson-gets-hoisted-petard-isnt-pretty-video/

Reporter: Do you regret, uh, announcing that that you were going to be going back to Florida and spurring some of this confusion?

Carson: Well, I didn’t make that announcement. Uh, I guess somebody talked to … other people…

Reporter: Well, your campaign told the press.

Carson: You know, *I* didn’t say it, so don’t blame me. [laughing]

Reporter: But you’re here telling us that people should know what’s going on in their campaign and hold people accountable, I mean that’s [crosstalk]

Carson: Well, let me ask you this question, is it okay after being on the road for after three weeks to go home to Florida and get a fresh change of clothes? Or is that a problem? Does that make someone into an evil, horrible person?

..... So, to summarize:

Carson admits his own campaign staffer talked to the media and said he was going to Florida.
Carson takes no responsibility for the actions of this staffer.
Cruz staffer tweeted a media report based entirely on what the aforementioned staffer said.
According to Carson, Cruz should take responsibility for that staffer.

---

So Carson knew his campaign leaked this to the press. Then got angry that it snowballed from there.... He is kinda burrying the lead here isn't he.

And going home to get a change of clothes? Is Iowa or New Hampshire so rural that he can't send staff or go himself to buy some more clothes?

Article Link: http://www.redstate.com/leon_h_wolf/2016/02/03/ben-carson-gets-hoisted-petard-isnt-pretty-video/

Reporter: Do you regret, uh, announcing that that you were going to be going back to Florida and spurring some of this confusion?

Carson: Well, I didn’t make that announcement. Uh, I guess somebody talked to … other people…

Reporter: Well, your campaign told the press.

Carson: You know, *I* didn’t say it, so don’t blame me. [laughing]

Reporter: But you’re here telling us that people should know what’s going on in their campaign and hold people accountable, I mean that’s [crosstalk]

Carson: Well, let me ask you this question, is it okay after being on the road for after three weeks to go home to Florida and get a fresh change of clothes? Or is that a problem? Does that make someone into an evil, horrible person?

..... So, to summarize:

Carson admits his own campaign staffer talked to the media and said he was going to Florida.
Carson takes no responsibility for the actions of this staffer.
Cruz staffer tweeted a media report based entirely on what the aforementioned staffer said.
According to Carson, Cruz should take responsibility for that staffer.

---

So Carson knew his campaign leaked this to the press. Then got angry that it snowballed from there.... He is kinda burrying the lead here isn't he.

And going home to get a change of clothes? Is Iowa or New Hampshire so rural that he can't send staff or go himself to buy some more clothes?

[RginTN]

The sore loser is upset his lies against Cruz didnt work

[Enlightened1]

Cruz said he was dropping out, and using the trip to Florida as the excuse. It was dirty and you know it.

[Enlightened1]