Okay….Republicans swept into Washington in one of the biggest political polarity shifts in history. I worked for Democrats to keep that from happening, but ultimately it came as no surprise. Mistakes were made, Democratic blocks didn’t vote, historically this happens anyway, and an unpopular President was reflected onto his party. My focus has shifted away…
Category: Gary Kroeger
Are you kidding?
Does this ever happen to you? You’re having an argument with someone when they accuse you of a certain behavior, and you respond, “Are you kidding? I was just going to say the same thing about you!” Apparently, the criterion by which we judge others is not always applied to ourselves. This happens to me a lot…
Make ’em squeal! Vote Braley!
I don’t dislike Joni Ernst as a person. She appears to be very nice and it is with sincere admiration that I thank her for her military service. I believe that she is sincere, as well, in her commitment to improving Washington and to change the course of America in a better direction. But that…
Unnecessary Roughness!
I had a revelation while attending a college football game. Perhaps, it wasn’t so much of a revelation as it was a connecting of the dots between human nature and politics, and it triggered a realization. I am an Iowa boy, born and raised, once again living in the “Fields of Opportunities” and I have always rooted…
Elephant’s Memory
I’m watching television and a commercial from a Republican PAC slams Bruce Braley for supporting Democratic initiatives 93% of the time. It states how Braley even supported Obamacare. It also insinuates that Braley is a snob, dislikes farmers and doesn’t care about our veterans. I yell at the TV a lot, and this moment really had my…
Song Sung Blue
Iowa has gone blue in the past couple of elections but this is essentially a conservative state. Iowa has a long history of landmark progressivism, but that is actually a result of our Midwestern nature that prefers that we keep our noses out of other people’s business. “Why not let women vote?” we asked in…
Religious Freedom?
Controversy abounds regarding the Human Equal Rights Ordinance in Houston, Texas. The mayor, Annise Parker, signed an ordinance that prohibits “discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics.” Mayor Parker is openly gay and the issue of discrimination against homosexuality is clearly a motivating factor, but discrimination against women and minorities are, of course, included. Several…
Welfare Does Not Perpetuate Poverty (Nor Will It End Poverty)
An issue which consistently divides along party lines is social spending. The position I hear the most from the right side of the aisle is that welfare creates a system of perpetual poverty and that a high percentage of people using welfare are exploiting the system. The argument they follow is that welfare should be abolished or…
“To Blog or Not to Blog”
Sometimes I wonder if I post too much. Occasionally, I will apologize for sending my links around because I don’t want my views to become a pain to my friends, although I have no qualms about being forward with those who generally oppose my ideas. I don’t mean to be belligerent, but “life” for a post…
I Love the Way You Lie
On Monday’s I take my sons to school and along Interstate 380, between Waterloo and Cedar Rapids, I’ve noticed for the past several years a homemade billboard which changes with some regularity. Immediately after Obama was elected the sign read “O-Bummer.” During the Iowa Caucus it read “Restore Sanity- Vote Santorum.” Apparently, the common “san” was…