King, Hubler battle for votes
Still solidly Republican, district's GOP advantage shrinking
By Bret Hayworthbhayworth@siouxcityjournal.com | Posted: Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Western Iowans know what they're getting with conservative Republican Steve King.
Whether they want a different representative in Congress will become clear in less than a week, as Democrat Rob Hubler works the 32-county Iowa 5th Congressional District in an effort to get their votes on Election Day. In his campaign, Hubler's using the "real representation" phrase, contending the district isn't ably represented on such key issues as the economy and health care.
The 5th District is prime Republican turf, the most heavily Republican of the five districts statewide. But voter registration totals show that while Republicans outnumber Democrats, the advantage is dwindling. In 2001, the district had 55,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats; as of Feb. 1 this year, the margin was 45,400.
Whether Hubler earns a victory remains to be seen. And whether Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who polls show is leading in Iowa, has coattails down the ticket could play into the outcome.
Although he may benefit from Obama's popularity, Hubler said, "I never set out to be a coat-tailer, I set out to set out my positions clearly, let the people make the decision."
After emerging out of a hard-fought four-man 2002 Republican primary, King has easily won his three previous election contests.
"I've laid out clear principles that I believe in," King said.
Where they stand
King, who lives in Kiron, has vigorously extolled conservatism on social issues, ranging from gay rights, stem cell research and English as the nation's official language. He helped raise immigration policy reform as a national issue in 2006, wants to abolish the federal income tax and replace it with a consumption tax and is a proponent of a hawkish foreign policy.
In early October he said ferreting out terrorists in Afghanistan is going less well than in Iraq. He also worries about the terrorists being bred in nearby Pakistan as a confounding factor in the War on Terror but said America is definitely winning that war.
Hubler, a Presbyterian minister from Council Bluffs, speaks about shrinking the income gap between the rich and middle class and firmly backs unionization. Hubler said with 50 million Americans lacking health insurance, there's a need to offer all Americans the coverage that members of Congress have. He wants a national energy policy with more alternative fuels.
He said Iowans are most concerned about the economy.
"The economy really is shutting down, and people are really feeling the effect of it," Hubler said.
King voted against the early October $700 billion financial markets bailout, saying the government was buying up too much "toxic debt" with mortgage-backed securities that wouldn't get a sound return. He also wanted more free market solutions explored in the legislation.
Hubler said he also would have voted nay.
"There is no way that money will get down to the middle class," Hubler said. "We haven't really taken the time to analyze the problem."
Touting their records
Hubler ran for the eastern Iowa 3rd District congressional position in 1982 but dropped out of the Democratic primary when his friend Lynn Cutler entered the race. He worked as a legislative assistant for U.S. Sen. Dick Clark, D-Iowa, from 1973 to 1978 and on campaigns for many Democrats over the past 30 years. Lack of experience serving on an elective body isn't a negative, he said, because he knows how government works.
King frequently notes the first piece of legislation he introduced as a freshman congressman, concerning a tax credit for ethanol in 2003, made it into law. In the time he's served as congressman, King said, the 5th District has become the top congressional district nationally in renewable energy production, including ethanol, biodiesel and wind energy initiatives.
To critics who say he doesn't have his name on enough bills, he counters that he's put 12 important amendments on appropriations bills this term, more than any other member of the House.
"Do amendments count the same as bills? Sometimes they count more, sometimes they count a lot more," King said.
He noted he's delivered on his only two prime infrastructure priorities, funding for dredging Storm Lake for water quality improvement and to fully widen U.S. Highway 20 to four lanes across western Iowa.
Earlier this month, he raved when the Iowa Transportation Commission put more Highway 20 miles into the five-year plan, leaving only 42 miles with two lanes after 2013, then ran a television commercial about Highway 20.
Hubler over many days called it a case of King claiming too much credit. Hubler said the commission's announcement came after state-raised money enabled the step and that federal lawmaker King had no role.
Campaign sparring
That's but one instance of Hubler trying to draw distinctions with King, who declined to debate Hubler because the Journal was a sponsor and he didn't think the event would be fair, given an article published this summer. He also said Hubler wasn't running a "legitimate campaign," focusing on criticism of him rather than issues.
Hubler said $8.5 million of taxpayer money has been spent funding King's offices over six years, so getting him to detail what he's accomplished is defensible.
"All I'm pointing out is that Steve King hasn't done anything," Hubler said. "(King) is a poster child of extreme name calling and fighting."
Hubler is gratified to have the support of the last Democrat to serve as congressman from Northwest Iowa. Berkely Bedell, who served from 1975 to 1987, is Hubler's campaign chairman.
"(Bedell) exemplifies exactly what I consider to be the role of a congressman," Hubler said. "He created all these committees ... and he got people on the ground out here to talk to other people. ... He went back to Congress and worked for them. He didn't go back to Congress and just yell about things and fight and make circuses out of oversight hearings."
Read more in Hayworth's Politically Speaking blog at www.siouxcityjournal.com/blogs
King, Hubler on the issues
ENERGY POLICY
Steve King: Expand all pieces of the domestic energy pie, including more offshore oil drilling and drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.
Rob Hubler: Expand energy production, including in renewable energies, but no ANWR drilling.
HEALTH CARE
King: Private sector solutions, and no increased role for the federal government. Opposed the initial 2007 reauthorization vote for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, saying it was too costly.
Hubler: Federal action is needed, including the ability for Americans to receive the same health care plan as members of Congress. Supported the SCHIP reauthorization.
IRAQ
King: The U.S. is approaching a victory in Iraq and should hold firm on troop levels until military commanders recommend a drawdown of troops.
Hubler: U.S. troop withdrawal must not destabilize Iraq, so a political solution such as a soft partition of the country into three areas Sunni, Shiite, Kurd must take place first.
Whether they want a different representative in Congress will become clear in less than a week, as Democrat Rob Hubler works the 32-county Iowa 5th Congressional District in an effort to get their votes on Election Day. In his campaign, Hubler's using the "real representation" phrase, contending the district isn't ably represented on such key issues as the economy and health care.
The 5th District is prime Republican turf, the most heavily Republican of the five districts statewide. But voter registration totals show that while Republicans outnumber Democrats, the advantage is dwindling. In 2001, the district had 55,000 more registered Republicans than Democrats; as of Feb. 1 this year, the margin was 45,400.
Whether Hubler earns a victory remains to be seen. And whether Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who polls show is leading in Iowa, has coattails down the ticket could play into the outcome.
Although he may benefit from Obama's popularity, Hubler said, "I never set out to be a coat-tailer, I set out to set out my positions clearly, let the people make the decision."
After emerging out of a hard-fought four-man 2002 Republican primary, King has easily won his three previous election contests.
"I've laid out clear principles that I believe in," King said.
Where they stand
King, who lives in Kiron, has vigorously extolled conservatism on social issues, ranging from gay rights, stem cell research and English as the nation's official language. He helped raise immigration policy reform as a national issue in 2006, wants to abolish the federal income tax and replace it with a consumption tax and is a proponent of a hawkish foreign policy.
In early October he said ferreting out terrorists in Afghanistan is going less well than in Iraq. He also worries about the terrorists being bred in nearby Pakistan as a confounding factor in the War on Terror but said America is definitely winning that war.
Hubler, a Presbyterian minister from Council Bluffs, speaks about shrinking the income gap between the rich and middle class and firmly backs unionization. Hubler said with 50 million Americans lacking health insurance, there's a need to offer all Americans the coverage that members of Congress have. He wants a national energy policy with more alternative fuels.
He said Iowans are most concerned about the economy.
"The economy really is shutting down, and people are really feeling the effect of it," Hubler said.
King voted against the early October $700 billion financial markets bailout, saying the government was buying up too much "toxic debt" with mortgage-backed securities that wouldn't get a sound return. He also wanted more free market solutions explored in the legislation.
Hubler said he also would have voted nay.
"There is no way that money will get down to the middle class," Hubler said. "We haven't really taken the time to analyze the problem."
Touting their records
Hubler ran for the eastern Iowa 3rd District congressional position in 1982 but dropped out of the Democratic primary when his friend Lynn Cutler entered the race. He worked as a legislative assistant for U.S. Sen. Dick Clark, D-Iowa, from 1973 to 1978 and on campaigns for many Democrats over the past 30 years. Lack of experience serving on an elective body isn't a negative, he said, because he knows how government works.
King frequently notes the first piece of legislation he introduced as a freshman congressman, concerning a tax credit for ethanol in 2003, made it into law. In the time he's served as congressman, King said, the 5th District has become the top congressional district nationally in renewable energy production, including ethanol, biodiesel and wind energy initiatives.
To critics who say he doesn't have his name on enough bills, he counters that he's put 12 important amendments on appropriations bills this term, more than any other member of the House.
"Do amendments count the same as bills? Sometimes they count more, sometimes they count a lot more," King said.
He noted he's delivered on his only two prime infrastructure priorities, funding for dredging Storm Lake for water quality improvement and to fully widen U.S. Highway 20 to four lanes across western Iowa.
Earlier this month, he raved when the Iowa Transportation Commission put more Highway 20 miles into the five-year plan, leaving only 42 miles with two lanes after 2013, then ran a television commercial about Highway 20.
Hubler over many days called it a case of King claiming too much credit. Hubler said the commission's announcement came after state-raised money enabled the step and that federal lawmaker King had no role.
Campaign sparring
That's but one instance of Hubler trying to draw distinctions with King, who declined to debate Hubler because the Journal was a sponsor and he didn't think the event would be fair, given an article published this summer. He also said Hubler wasn't running a "legitimate campaign," focusing on criticism of him rather than issues.
Hubler said $8.5 million of taxpayer money has been spent funding King's offices over six years, so getting him to detail what he's accomplished is defensible.
"All I'm pointing out is that Steve King hasn't done anything," Hubler said. "(King) is a poster child of extreme name calling and fighting."
Hubler is gratified to have the support of the last Democrat to serve as congressman from Northwest Iowa. Berkely Bedell, who served from 1975 to 1987, is Hubler's campaign chairman.
"(Bedell) exemplifies exactly what I consider to be the role of a congressman," Hubler said. "He created all these committees ... and he got people on the ground out here to talk to other people. ... He went back to Congress and worked for them. He didn't go back to Congress and just yell about things and fight and make circuses out of oversight hearings."
Read more in Hayworth's Politically Speaking blog at www.siouxcityjournal.com/blogs
King, Hubler on the issues
ENERGY POLICY
Steve King: Expand all pieces of the domestic energy pie, including more offshore oil drilling and drilling in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge.
Rob Hubler: Expand energy production, including in renewable energies, but no ANWR drilling.
HEALTH CARE
King: Private sector solutions, and no increased role for the federal government. Opposed the initial 2007 reauthorization vote for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, saying it was too costly.
Hubler: Federal action is needed, including the ability for Americans to receive the same health care plan as members of Congress. Supported the SCHIP reauthorization.
IRAQ
King: The U.S. is approaching a victory in Iraq and should hold firm on troop levels until military commanders recommend a drawdown of troops.
Hubler: U.S. troop withdrawal must not destabilize Iraq, so a political solution such as a soft partition of the country into three areas Sunni, Shiite, Kurd must take place first.
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The Truth wrote on Nov 3, 2008 4:46 PM:
Below is a story that the drive-by media won't tell you about.
The Messiah stated he will bankrupt anyone who tries to start another coal plant. Im sure the Union coal miners of this country are happy to hear that
An audiotape of an interview Barack Obama did in January 2008 with The San Francisco Chronicle has surfaced in the final days of the presidential campaign. On the tape Obama tells the interviewer, so if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can Its just that it will bankrupt them because theyre going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas thats being emitted. An Obama spokesman points out that later in the interview the candidate says that eliminating coal as an energy source is an illusion.
Now thats real leadership from the great uniter! He is threatening American enterprise on and his power in government behalf of his pals the environmentalist whackos. Does he have ALGORE in the closet? "
Peggy wrote on Oct 29, 2008 9:49 PM:
Thanks anyway. "
Eric wrote on Oct 29, 2008 8:36 PM:
Girl From the North Country wrote on Oct 29, 2008 4:33 PM:
He supports family-friendly policies, like access to health care for people who are uninsured or under-insured. He opposes privatizing social security, and the wisdom of that position is obvious after the financial meltdown. A veteran himself, he understands their needs and supports them. He would fight for more green jobs, supporting wind energy and ethanol.
Steve King loves the unborn, but the born are on their own. He voted against SCHIP, and ridiculed it on the House floor as "hillarycare."
He supports privatizing social security and leaving seniors on their own.
He opposes helping the uninsured. His health care plan is "don't get sick."
He is in favor of continuing to remain in Iraq, yet votes against veterans needs when they come home.
No debates for King. He is content with grandstanding and making outrageous statements for the cameras in D.C., or with Palin in Sioux City.
Voters should choose Hubler. "
Kings gotta go wrote on Oct 29, 2008 4:19 PM:
I can't believe this guy represents me in Washington. How sad.
Thanks for nothing Steve, why do you take a hike and let somebody else "look out" for us. "