Are you all missing a little SKINNY????

[Debi]

http://www.dmcityview.com/skinny.shtml


Republicans and Democrats are drawing up lists of Legislative seats they think they can win - and some they think they might lose. Republicans worry that Danny Carroll of Grinnell - the House's Speaker Pro Tem - and Dan Rasmussen of Independence and David Lalk of Fayette County are vulnerable. Democrats will fight hard to save seats of incumbents Mark Davitt of Indianola and Bob Kressig of Cedar Falls. Both sides think they'll end up in control of the chamber, which the Republicans now control 51 to 49. Democrats are more certain they'll take control of the Senate, which now is evenly divided, and some Republicans candidly agree. One big battleground: the Republican seat Polk County's Jeff Lamberti is giving up to run for Congress.

In the meantime, the state's Republicans met a couple of weeks ago and, among other things, wrote a new platform. Since we couldn't find mention of it in The Des Moines Register, Civic Skinny rises again to public service by providing some highlights: The Iowa Republican platform would eliminate the U.S. Department of Education; speaks harshly of homosexuals; opposes any minimum wage; favors school prayer and the teaching of creationism; opposes the teaching of sex education; favors English as the official language of the state; opposes the Kyoto treaty; opposes "ethnic history" months in school systems; opposes no-fault divorce; wants marriage defined as exclusively between a man and a woman; opposes a protected class based on sexual orientation; favors drilling in the Arctic national wildlife preserve; opposes the bottle bill; opposes "all forms" of affirmative action; favors the death penalty; opposes amnesty for any illegal immigrants; supports a barrier along the entire length of the Mexico-U.S. border; opposes issuing driver's licenses or providing medical, welfare, or educational support for illegal immigrants and their dependents; favors the right to carry a concealed weapon; supports the repeal of state and federal hate-crimes legislation; supports the reversal of Roe v. Wade; opposes embryonic stem-cell research; opposes euthanasia; opposes abortion; opposes a cigarette-tax increase; favors eliminating the income tax and the Internal Revenue Service and imposing, instead, a consumption tax; opposes the use of tax dollars to support the entertainment and the arts; and commends the "outstanding representation" of, among others, Steve King... among other things.

Allegedly, Gov. Tom Vilsack has been telling people that Iowans are liars when he doesn't like what they say. Specifically, he's been trying to discredit citizens who claim that they heard Vilsack aide Steve Falck promising that the governor would sign this year's eminent domain bill if the Legislature would still allow government to condemn land for publicly-funded lakes on behalf of private developers. Calling people liars? Couldn't he be a little more creative? "In the olden days, they called you a communist," one long-time activist reminisces.

<snip>

(hit the link for all things eminent domain)

[rurallib]

1. I see in the repressive platform cited above that the repressive

party "opposes a protected class based on sexual orientation."
So does that mean that they want to do away with priveleges that heterosexuals now get as a right because they are heterosexuals? Marriage and all its attendant priveleges comes first to mind. Others are maybe a bit harder to focus on, but I'll try. When was the last time you heard of a hetero being beat up because they were hetero? Or bullied? Or cut out of the will? Refused service at a bar? Labeled by some as abnormal? Unable to get health coverage for their life partner? ............
I think I finally agree with the repressives on something. If they get into office look for them to begin to treat all people like they treat GLBT folks. I believe that is their true personality anyway.

[Debi]

2. Good point

:thumbsup:

[DU9598]

3. Debate Question for Nussle

Mr. Nussle, you are running on the republican party platform which calls for the end of no-fault divorce. Sir, was your divorce a no-fault divorce? And if not, since you would deny (heterosexual) Iowans what you participated in (no-fault divorce) what fault would you admit led to your divorce?

Mr. Nussle, if you refuse to answer the question, how can we not consider you a complete hypocrite on the issue of family values?

[Debi]

4. Do you think the current Mrs. Nussle would be running from the room

screaming at that point? :yoiks: