Free Republic

Cedar Falls, IA – The latest ad from Doris Kelley makes a number of ridiculous accusations, but it’s the use of a song from the classic television show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that puts it over the top. The Walt Rogers campaign has learned that Family Communications, Inc., the nonprofit corporation that administers copyrights related to the show, did not grant permission for Kelley to use the song in her attack ad; in fact, the organization never permits political use of its copyrights, according to Chief Operating Officer Kevin Morrison. The group will be issuing a “Cease and Desist” letter to...

The Iowa based American Future Fund (AFF) has reserved $800,000 for television ads in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District. Democrat Congressman Bruce Braley represents the District. Braley is being challenged by Ben Lange, a Republican from Independence, in this fall’s election. AFF has already been active in the District. Last month the group aired a television ad that was critical of Braley’s support of the mosque at Ground Zero. AFF has already launched radio ads, placed thousands of phone calls, and sent mailers to residents of the District about Braley’s liberal record. AFF told TheIowaRepublican.com that it estimates that it will...

Ever since the passage of the Democrats failed stimulus package that saddled Americans with almost a trillion dollars in new debt, there have been widespread reports of abuse. From a ‘tunnel to nowhere’ to international ant research, projects across the country have wasted untold amounts of taxpayer dollars – and now we can see it happening right here in Iowa. Yesterday, Iowa House Republican Leader Kraig Paulsen asked the State Auditor’s office to review the circumstances surrounding a real estate company owned by Roxanne and James Conlin receiving more than $1 million in federal stimulus money to purchase an apartment...

This is a new TV spot from Walt Rogers, the Republican candidate for Iowa House District 20 in Black Hawk County. Linked to from The Bean Walker - Iowa's version of the Drudge Report.

The Branstad/Reynolds team this morning announced that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will headline a fundraising event for them in Des Moines on Oct. 4. Christie, elected in 2009 and sworn into office last January, has quickly risen as a national leader within the Republican Party. “I’m excited to welcome Governor Christie to Iowa,” said former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad. “He has been a pioneering leader in New Jersey with regard to cleaning up the state’s budget and again putting his state on the right track. I’m happy to have his support and am looking forward to a great event.”

September 2, 2010 – Ames, IA – Congressman Tom Latham, Honorary Chairman of For America’s Republican Majority, announced on Thursday the winners of the For America’s Republican Majority’s Iowa FARM Team project’s unique online contest – Iowa Republican Idol. The online contest, held at the organization’s website IowaFARMTeam.org, asked Iowans to cast their votes for their favorite Iowa Republican House and Senate State Legislative Candidates. The winners of each the House and Senate Iowa Republican Idol contests will be receive a $5,000 contribution from For America’s Republican Majority for their campaigns. Thousands voted over the past two months and Iowans...

I suspect that human capability reached its peak or plateau around 1965-75 – at the time of the Apollo moon landings – and has been declining ever since. This may sound bizarre or just plain false, but the argument is simple. That landing of men on the moon and bringing them back alive was the supreme achievement of human capability, the most difficult problem ever solved by humans. 40 years ago we could do it – repeatedly – but since then we have *not* been to the moon, and I suggest the real reason we have not been to the...

I’m with a small group of reporters in a D.C. coffee shop, chatting with Florida Republican Senate candidate Marco Rubio. He just mentioned that there are two parts within the Obamacare legislation that he doesn’t want repealed. The first is the ban on insurance companies denying coverage based on preexisting conditions and the second is that he thinks that children up to age 26 should be allowed to “buy into” their parents’ coverage.

<p>No web source yet; just announced on Fox News, per the AP.</p>

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A small airplane crashed in a busy business district near downtown during rush hour Tuesday, killing a small child and injuring the four other people onboard, authorities said.

The gubernatorial campaign for Terry Branstad is downplaying a heart procedure that was successfully completed on the former governor today at a Des Moines hospital. “In the interest of openness and full disclosure, we are releasing this information to the press and public,” said campaign manager Jeff Boeyink. Dr. Michael Fraizer, an interventional cardiologist at the Iowa Heart Center, stated that the procedure was not done due to a heart attack, but was a routine procedure mandated by a stress test. “Today former Gov. Terry Branstad had an elective heart procedure. This demonstrated a partially blocked artery that was treated...

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is warning Florida Gov. Charlie Crist not to pursue a Senate bid as an independent, saying that the National Republican Senatorial Committee would work to defeat him if he abandoned the Republican label. The Cornyn threat represents a stark turnabout for the NRSC, which aggressively tried to recruit Crist last year before he faced a fierce conservative primary challenger in former Florida Speaker Marco Rubio. But with Crist now trailing badly in the polls - and rumors intensifying that he will abandon the GOP primary fight - Cornyn says the governor will face an intense backlash...

All the discussion on "repeal and replace" has centered on whether repealing the bill is feasible and what the replacement would look like. Contrary to what some squishy, spineless "Republicans" are saying, a full repeal is absolutely possible, but first we must REPLACE the "progressive" Congresscritters who voted for it in the first place. We should instead be shouting "Replace and Repeal!" - but what needs "replacement" are every Democrat (and some Republicans) in Congress.

Greta Van Susteren interviews the creepy Charlie Crist.

Embattled Gov. Paterson has pulled the plug on his bid to seek reelection, a source close to the governor said Friday. Paterson will announce the decision later Friday. Paterson has been under fire for having contacted a woman who accused one of his top aides of domestic violence. The source said the governor has agreed not to seek election, but he will not resign - opting to serve out the remainder of his term. The decision clears the way for Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is the favorite of many Democrats, to seek the nomination unimpeded.

Airtran flight 39, Atlanta to San Francisco, unruly passenger on board. Fighters launched to escort plane, landed in Colorado Springs. Info per Neil Cavuto on Fox News; no link yet.

Mark Kirk The Illinois congressman, now the front-runner in the Republican primary election for U.S. Senate, is facing an attack ad that questions his sexual orientation. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that opponent Andy Martin, already controversial for previous remarks about Barack Obama, has run for offices in Illinois, Florida and Connecticut but has never won. He taped a commercial questioning whether Kirk is gay -- and radio stations have told the Sun-Times that federal communications rules don't permit them to edit the ads. Spokesman Erik Elk said that Kirk, a U.S. Naval Intelligence officer, was unavailable for comment because he...

ACORN CEO Bertha Lewis announced today the closure of the organization's Philadelphia office and the termination of its Philadelphia-based employees after evidence surfaced of a pervasive judgmental attitude toward, and discriminatory treatment of, citizens involved in the sex industry, and especially the youth portion of the industry. "Reports have been circulating that 'mystery shoppers' posing as a sex worker and her supervisor approached our Philadelphia office seeking assistance in obtaining a mortgage to purchase a location for their business," said Lewis. "Our internal investigation indicates that these employees not only refused to assist the young entrepreneurs, but even alerted the...

The SCOTUS today appeared poised to strike down at least a portion of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of '02, after a majority of justices fiercely questioned Solicitor Gen. Elena Kagan and an atty for the legislation's sponsors, including Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Russ Feingold (D-WI). The case -- Citizens United v. FEC -- was first heard by the court on 3/24, but, in an unusual move, the court held over the case and ordered a re-hearing before the start of its Oct. term. Citizens United, a nonprofit advocacy org, produced a 90-min. film titled "Hillary: The Movie" meant...

CEDAR RAPIDS (AP) -- A large aquarium has likely saved a Cedar Rapids home that caught fire. The aquarium shattered at Ricky Kuda's home Friday morning after a transformer beneath the aquarium caught fire. The water from the aquarium extinguished the fire. Cedar Rapids Fire Department spokesman Greg Buelow says the damage would have been much more extensive if the aquarium hadn't shattered. Buelow says the aquarium was about 4 feet wide. No one was injured in the fire, but all of the fish in the tank died.