Can Someone Tell Me About King (5th district) ?

[orleans]

he's on the judiciary committee & i'm gonna send him a letter. anything about him that might help (either he hates animals or is actually pretty good about environmental issues...something...??)

[CoffeeCat]

1. Steve King is a radical conservative activist...

Steve King is an embarrassment to Iowa.

He is radical conservative.

His most recent antic, is to suggest--as a serious idea--that we build a giant trailer park in NOLA, and house the "refugees" in one big mass.

He also wants to erect a tall fence around the border of the United States. That's his solution (and he's serious about it) to the immigration problems.

Steve King on the environment and animals? Oh please. He's a hard-line conservative. I'm sure he has no proactive, intelligent stance on either of those topics. On the environment, he's most likely for whatever suits the corporations. The animal issue is so off his radar--it's absurd to think he would even understand what the issues are on that topic.

Send King a letter, if it will make you feel better. However, do not look for anything positive from him.

[DU9598]

2. He is near crazy

He is a creature of small thinking and self interest. He is a radical, rapture republican. He claims to be christian, but hates his neighbors unless they are white, upper middle class, speak perfect English, drive SUVs, farm, have missionary position sex, and support crusades in the middle east.

Okay, maybe that is just a snapshot of the guy, but he was a divisive state senator who happens to be from a largely rural district dominated by social conservatives and big farming interests. He divides the electorate on gay rights and immigration issues to play to the worst in people. He has no interest in helping others, only those like himself or who support his political machine.

The good news is he wants to run for Senate in 2008 against Sen. Tom Harkin and at that time he will lose and disappear, much like Congressmen Tom Taukee, Greg Ganske, Jim Ross Lightfoot (am I forgetting any others Harkin has dismissed of?)

[Broke Dad]

6. King is a lot of things - BUT he is not stupid

Steve King is a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them. He plays to his base of conservatives like a maestro. He does a good job of hiding his mean streak from the little old ladies of western Iowa. Do not underestimate King.

I agree that Harkin will beat King, but understand that race is just the preliminary event for King. It will get him ready in 2008 to be the top dog to replace Grassley in 2010 when he retires.

[ISUGRADIA]

3. He's a nut and an extreme rightie and homophobe to start

don't expect a reply.

[Debi]

4. I think I've seen it here that he refuses to reply to

non-constituents.

I agree...he's a nut!

[Counciltucky]

5. He's a freaking LUNATIC!

He's a known bigot, and he also referred to Abu Ghraib as, "little more than hazing."

He makes Hitler look liberal.

[progressoid]

7. He mainlines the RW koolaid.

He occasionally does a guest commentary in our local paper. It's just cut and paste stuff from the RNC or the WH. I don't think he has an original idea in his head.

The last time I heard him speak was on C-Span. He made a few comments when going into that Tom Delay love-fest a few months ago. It was frightening. Now, I avoid him if at all possible.

He's an embarassment to western IA.

[IADEMO2004]

8. He has 10 foot pole marks all over him.

[Lurch762]

9. On the other hand...

I'm personally proud to have him as my Rep. in Congress. I know him personally, and he is a fine man. Well liked in the area he lived and did business in. His ideas are well thought out and defensible. To correct an earlier statement, Mr. King was against the trailers for hurricane victims idea. He spoke against it on the Jan Mickelson program on 1040 AM. I think the archive is still available on the Mickelson program website. Just wanted to offer a differing view.

[progressoid]

10. Okey Dokey.

Are you sure you signed up for the right forum?

[DU9598]

11. Differing view

From the nitwit, heartless brigade. Freeper alert! Freeper alert!

[ISUGRADIA]

23. I copuld not be proud of having a homophobic ass as my congressman

the man stands for everything I am against. the bob dornan of Iowa, I'd rather have a DEMOCRAT in that seat.

[Lurch762]

12. Not a freeper

lol... I guess I don't know if I'm a freeper or not. I'm a part time farmer with a job in town in Western Iowa. I was doing a search on King - researching his farm issue positions. Anyway, I found this place and read through topics until I found this. I thought open mindedness was a virtue among those who thought the right was close minded. I guess lockstep can be found anywhere. I've seen plenty of it on the right also, so I guess that just means we are still the same human species. Yours in tolerance of others,

Lurch

[IADEMO2004]

13. If you get a a job with the intent of starting a union it could be a crime

King introduced legislation to make it a criminal offense to take a job with a company if you intend to start a labor union.

[Lurch762]

14. I don't know the whole story...

If workers want to organize, that's certainly their right. But if you misrepresent yourself or hide the fact that you want to do something that impacts the business (either positively or negatively), it sounds fraudulent. If you come right out and say you want to organize after starting your job, I doubt you would be sent to jail or even fined.

[Debi]

15. Welcome to DU...question, where'd the moniker Lurch come from?

:shrug:

[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Debi]

16. Another King quote

<snip>
But not everyone understands that. There are those who use their political power in an attempt to intimidate judges and the courts.

For example, Congressman Steve King threatened to cut off court funding because he was disappointed in the courts’ rulings in the Terry Schiavo case. “We can do that,” King said, “ budget starts to dry up - we’ll get their attention. We must get them
in line."

<snip>

http://www.courts.state.ri.us/pdf/bar-speech-2005.pdf

Nice, if the Courts won't do as we say....get rid of the Courts :eyes:

[Lurch762]

17. The name lurch

came from a silly nickname during middle school. It doesn't fit anymore, and I certainly don't introduce myself as Lurch. But it does work in cyberspace.

I didn't mean to do a point by point defense of King when I jumped on board. I'll stop after this. BUUUUUUT, as for judges. I didn't see or hear the quote. I don't know the context. I see the purse strings as a check on judicial power. There have been more rulings recently that seem to have not interpreted law as written by the Reps, but has nullified law. Some of us out here do see the judicial branch as pushing the envelope. I don't use the phrase "out of control" because they aren't out of control, that's just hyperbole from the far right.

I really don't mean to rock the boat on each issue offered. I guess my first point was that even when we (I do this too) think an issue is so easy that any opposition is either evil or insane, we (I) are usually wrong. I'll back out quietly.

[Broke Dad]

19. I can't take it anymore

If I hear one more right wing asshole rip a judge that they disagree with, I am going to explode!!!!!!

Most of these judges are Republican appointees. They took an oath of office to listen to the testimony, review the evidence and APPLY the law. When the man who would be KING or another of his ilk mouth off without having sat through days and weeks of testimony, they need to have their mouths taped shut and headphones playing three weeks of trial testimony put over their ears. Then, if they have an opinion they MIGHT have some credibility!!!!!!!

Plus, most of the laws passed by the Iowa Legislature and the Congress are so poorly written that half the time lawyers and judges have to guess, "What the hell did they mean?" I have even heard moron Legislators make a compromise that results in phrases that are gibberish say, "Let the courts sort it out. This is the best that we are going to get from the other side." One judge said publicly that reading and applying some of these laws is like trying to bolt together the front half of a Ford sedan made in Kansas City with the back half of a Ford F-150 made in Detroit.

I think every Republican hack politician who publicly attacks judges or the judiciary should be held in Gitmo without due process for three years bolted to the concrete floor in their own waste. Then they might appreciate their Constitutional rights and a judicial check on fascism, including their own!!!!!!!!!

[Lurch762]

18. Today in the Sioux City Journal

Since this topic was still fresh, I thought I might offer evidence contributing to my point. Steve King has a guest column in the Tuesday, Sept 20th Journal. In it, he lays out a reasonable, practical program, not a knee jerk short answer, to a complex problem. I can't see many Americans being opposed to border control, so let's not hack him and his ideas apart just for being on the wrong side. We can work together on this and make it happen.

[Lurch762]

20. Sorry, the colum was Sept, 18th - NT

[rurallib]

21. Could you post an internet link for those of us in Eastern Iowa?

I find it hard to view King as anything but nuts, but I am willing to give it a try. I have heard him om Mickelson before. That is how I formed that opinion in the first place. Sounded like a Santorum or DeLay disciple. But I would like to read it myself. Most of what I have read by or about him has more than reinforced that opinion. Frankly, from what I have read and heard he is far from what I would consider normal Iowa values.

[Lurch762]

22. I found it! Here it is...

If the link doesn't work, go to the Sioux City Journal's website, click on News, then click on Opinion.

One interesting point is that contrary to our image of King as out for business, a major point is to penalize business' that break the law. I'd like to see jail time for executives that use these hiring practices, but it is a start. He even plays off of our New Deal heritage. This guy may not be as bad as we make him out to be.


http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2005/09/20/news_opinion/editorial/f22c81c1714f30f68625707f0002bc8f.txt

[rurallib]

25. I see repubs say that all the time

they've been in charge of congress for what 12 years and had the presidency for 17 of the past 25 years. This is one if their issues that they talk big on and do absolutely nothing about. Saying you want these laws enforced is easy, putting some pressure behind it when your contributors are the ones who get burned is something else indeed.
Sorry, I see this as King only following the current GOP talking points. If you did not already know, this will be their next hot button issue for the 2006 congressional race, along with gay marriage, taking away women's right to choose and flag burning. Call again when King stands up for things like education (not NCLB) or Social Security or national health insurance.
To me that article only proves that he is what I believe he is, merely a tool and a stalking horse for Bushco.

[Lurch762]

26. You have a point.

I don't know if it will do any good, but I think I'll call his office and let him know that we want to see action before he does any mort talking.

[rurallib]

27. See King himself cannot do anything

So he can shoot his mouth forever. Works out nicely. Look for Nussle to use this too. Unlike King, as governor Nussle could actually do something. So you can look forward to four years of excuses on this and many other promises he won't fulfill. Hopefully we won't have to live through a Nussle governorship. That would be a total fucking disaster. If you don't believe me check out the fine job Mitch (Bush budget man) Daniels is doing in Indiana. Lots of sorry voters in Indy. My son-in-law's parents among them.