Iowa Defense Alliance

I hear many people out there complaining how the Republican party is in need of leaders this election cycle, but I believe in a short span of two days this past weekend two leaders have stepped forward.  Christoper Reed, candidate for US Senate, and Iowa Senator David Hartsuch, candidate for US House District 1, have done what the Maverick at the top of the ticket has failed to do in the past couple of weeks.  Mr. Reed and Mr. Hartsuch have stood up to their own party when they knew what their party has done is wrong.

Christopher Reed was going along just to get along knowing full well that the support of the Iowa GOP was not behind him.  He took the high road knowing that complaining about the lack of support from his own party would make their fight against the Democrats and Tom Harkin even more challenging.  But that all changed when Reed found out that the lack of support turned into actively telling people not to support him.  In an eye-opening interview with WHO radio’s Steve Deace he said, “I am carrying the water for the Republican party and they are putting holes in my bucket.”  Yes, they are Christopher, and thank you for being a leader by calling them on such indecent and divisive behavior and for pointing out that we don’t win elections by fighting each other.  Reed is focused on his fight with Tom Harkin and not with Republicans.  We have been lectured many times about supporting the Republican nominee no matter what, and now the Republican Party of Iowa must heed their own advice.

A day later another leader emerged to fight for one of the basic foundations of the Republican party…………marriage is between one man and one woman.  David Hartsuch has been one of the primary players in the Iowa legislature trying to get the marriage amendment on the ballot for the people (you and I) to vote on.  Unlike other gutless politicians, he did not just put his convictions in his back pocket when the McCain campaign decided not to let him speak at an Iowa rally because of his outspoken statements for traditional marriage.  He instead stood up to his own party in a phenomenal press release and pointed out that their own presidential nominee did not support one of the most important moves in the Republican agenda: the federal marriage amendment.  Hartsuch realizes that even though he supports John McCain, he will still need to do all he can to defend family values in Iowa.  Once again, we have been lectured about supporting John McCain even if he doesn’t embody all of the Republican ideals, but someone should lecture McCain on supporting those candidates who do uphold Republican values.

Two candidates who each had roadblocks thrown their way by their own party.  I’m not sure the agenda behind these roadblocks, but if it is to divide the party into “us vs. them” like elementary children picking kickball teams on the playground, it has to stop.  And if the Republican party is going to try to defeat their own members, then why is it the ones who actually stand behind the Republican party platform who get the “holes in their bucket”?  I don’t know the answer to this question, except for maybe they would rather lose an election than lose control of their party, but what I do know is Christopher Reed and David Hartsuch stood up to their own party’s ridiculous behavior and illustrated to us what it really means to put “Country First”.