OH, SHUT UP!

Fresh off making an ass of himself during the flooding, State Representative Wayne Ford is floating to the top again.

U Gotta Love It!

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

Racial makeup of fair's lineup criticized

Ford wants the number of minority acts increased at the Iowa State Fair.

"The Grant Wood image of Iowa has changed. That picture would have minorities in the background now, and the State Fair has been trying, but this year appears to be a setback."

What happened to "ONE IOWA" Wayne?

Is it fair to have a quota system for the Fair?

Per the Ragister, Vanessa Hudgens (pictured)& Corbin Bleu are minority headline acts.

The Crystals are the best known of the acts on the free stage.

Gary Slater, Iowa State Fair CEO, said...The color that's most important to the fair's lineup is green.

NUTrition

I'm not sure why the Ragister calls their place for candidates to speak at the fair a soapbox when they stand on the grass.

Grassroots give and take would be better and the scientific community is united in that fact.

CONgressman Bruce Braley used his time to defend the health care bill.

He is then quoted as saying -- “If you don’t eat your way through the midway, you just aren’t experiencing the Iowa State Fair.”

This is a guy who brags about the over $700 Million in spending he's supported with tax dollars to invest in nutrition.

It has been a few years since I've "experienced" the Iowa State Fair, but I recall rides on the midway -- not foodstands.

Last Song?

Boys Like Girls has been given quite the distinction at this year's Iowa State Fair.

Iowa State Fair announces last grandstand act

The grandstand should be closed for allowing a homophobic group to perform.

Not all boys like girls and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Retiring Rep. Wayne Ford has already proven the fair to be racist.

Sensitivity People!

Best State Fair, in our State

I can remember when I actually enjoyed the Iowa State Fair.

I can remember when I enjoyed winter too, but the older I get the more those memories fade.

Chris, my wife, LOVES the fair.

She loves that nothing, for all intents and purposes, changes from year to year.

Ironically, that's the same exact reason I despise the place.

I know they've enclosed the Varied Industries Building, I really enjoyed that in November 2004 when President Bush held a rally there on a cold, rainy day.

I make it my mission to avoid the fair every year and I can't remember the last time we were there together. I do love my wife, so I did offer to take her last year and it wasn't a hollow gesture. Thank goodness she said no.

I became disillusioned when I was in radio and had to be there every day to broadcast, then race back to the station to do my regular show. It was hot, I became sweaty, I suffered from allergies, and people got quite rude over fair giveaways.

It was during this time that they changed the lemonade I loved, by adding oranges (?)

I also found out that the Butter Cow is not completely made from butter. It's spread over a steel frame, it was almost like when you found out your parents were Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny.

The song tells you.... "Don't miss it, don't even be late!"

I DON'T!

Farewell To The Fairground

MiniCommie got into a battle with FormerlyFunnyCommie Al Franken about which state has the better fair.

Franken found 13 reasons the Minnesota State Fair is the best.

Among them --

Dairy princesses carved in butter...That's creepy on so many levels.

The tradition, including one Minnesotan who's gone for 75 years in a row, even though the fair was canceled for two of those years...I thought Iowans were supposed to be Idiots Out Walking Around.

Fish pond...Are you sure that's not Lake 10,001?

We make history, Teddy Roosevelt said "speak softly and carry a big stick"...He actually used the phrase a year earlier (January,26 1900).

Bruce Braley responded with 18 reasons supporting the Iowa State Fair.

Including --

The Butter Cow...People would be less impressed if they realized it's built on an armature made of wood and chicken wire.

Braley went on to praise the Butter Cow's friends and security.

EPIC FAIL 

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

In a trip to Sioux City, the CONgressman denied he's a big government liberal.

HA!

Report-err Bret Hayworth, in his Policitally Speaking blog for the Sioux City Journal, said Braley's message will include appeals to Democrats, along with noting that he worked across the aisle to have bills enacted into law when Democrats were a minority in the House, meaning that the measures passed due to some Republican support.

But Bret, Democrats are still in the minority in the House.

Flashback

Alice Cooper has been announced as a grandstand act at this year's Iowa State Fair.

The Ragister calls Cooper a "classic shock-rocker", his special guest will be Blue Oyster Cult.

I'm old enough to remember the days when Alice was a "shock-rocker" and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Oddly, I just related this story to my friend Phil on Tuesday...

It was in the month of February in the early 1970s and my dad's father had passed away.

Italians were buried out of Tonini Funeral Home on Des Moines' south side and Mando Tonini was the owner and resident, his family lived above the parlor, Digger O'Dell (always eying you for your coffin, it was eerie).

Mando also started Des Moines' first limousine service, a smart use of his funeral fleet when they were not in service.

All of my grandfathers grandsons were his pallbearers and rather young, I was a junior in high school.

On the way to the cemetery we asked Mando if he'd chauffeured any famous folks and he mentioned some names.

We asked if he was going to chauffeur Alice Cooper, who had an upcoming concert at Vet's.

Mando asked, "Alice Cooper, who's she?".

We then related how Alice was a guy and his act included a snake.

Here it is over 30 years later and Alice Cooper is tame, he even has his own golf tournament and restaurant "Alice Cooper'stown", and playing the Iowa State Fair with Blue Oyster Cult.

At least there'll be plenty of cowbell there.

Cop Out

Who's the bigger swine, Des Moines Police Chief Judy Bradshaw or Des Moines City Manager Rick Clark?

Bradshaw stated yesterday that there were enough officers this year to handle the problems at this year's Iowa State Fair, but announced there will be more police officers and a stronger presence at next year's Fair.

HUH?

WHO HD's Aaron Brilbeck didn't buy the adequate staffing explanation and asked why were there so few arrests after the attacks? "I can't tell you why there weren't more arrests," Bradshaw replied.

Bradshaw also could not elaborate on how many more officers that would include, yet the Chief of the Iowa State Patrol knew he would likely increase his staff's presence by 15 to 20 troopers.

Clark comes into this because in April he gave Bradshaw a $13,000 a year raise, on her $133,580 salary, to keep her in Des Moines because she was one of 11 semifinalists for the top cop job in Seattle.

According to Clark, "She's really good at what she does and it's not easy to find people of that caliber to fill these kinds of positions."

Bradshaw was firing blanks, and the scientific community is united in that fact, if she can't handle a little fair fracas there's no way she could settle down Seattle.

Back 'er up

Do I hear December?

The Ragister is reporting...

The Florida Legislature's decision Thursday to move the state's presidential primary to Jan. 29 makes it more likely that Iowa's leadoff caucuses will be forced earlier--

...Florida's decision to vault its primary from its traditional date in March to within 15 days of the caucuses violates rules by the Democratic National Committee barring any state except Iowa, New Hampshire and two others from holding contests before Feb. 5.

We're stunned Dummycrats are violating the rules and the scientific community is united in that fact.

...Iowa law requires that the caucuses be the nation's first nominating contest. Iowa Democrats and Republicans had jointly agreed to hold their caucuses on the same day. Any move would affect both parties.

My tongue wasn't so firmly planted in my cheek with the December suggestion.

Hell we're having debates already.

Make the Caucuses another "Holiday" party to attend.

Why not August and the Iowa State Fair?

I feel so violated.

Irony?

Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and Justice Mark Cady dissenting in a public policy case as something for lawmakers, not judges, to decide.

Keith Olbermann donating to three Dummycrats campaigns 3 weeks to the day after lambasting Fox News for going beyond having a point of view and actually starts to shill for partisan causes and actually starts to donate to partisan groups of one party.

The Ragister, the ousted Iowa Supreme Court justices, Fair Courts for Us, One Iowa and Drake University Law School Dean Allan Vestal decrying out of state money that opposed retention, but not once complaining about the out of state money that came in from Nebraska, Minnesota, Washington D.C., Missouri, California, South Dakota, Virginia, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Washington, Colorado, Michigan and Illinois in support of retention.

AARP supported Obamacare, now it is raising employee insurance premiums and changing copayments and deductibles to avoid a 40 percent tax on high-cost health plans that takes effect in 2018 under the law.

Elizabeth Matus writing of her love of the state of Iowa and the Midwest and her pride in the University of Iowa and Iowa State, all while attending Stanford University in California.

Constant anti-war protester Christine Gaunt, who proclaims herself a vegan, but raises hogs on a family farm.











And the scientific community is united in that fact.

My John Kerry Moment?

It's not quite I was for it before I was against it.

I once was an officer of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) for most of the 1990s.

I was led to believe that the Union had to legally represent all employees, union and non-union equally because Iowa was a "right to work" state.

When I went into a meeting with management regarding an employee, I didn't care whether they were members or not.

I went in an represented that employee to the best of my ability.

After the meeting some employees would share that they weren't union members.

I told them that was immaterial to me, my job was to represent them.

Some would ask for a union membership card at that point.

Some also joined after the outcome was reached.

I always believed that if i set a good leadership example, others would follow.

I told you that to tell you this.

With Congress and the Iowa State House under Dummycrat control, the labor movement is calling in its chits, at all levels, in an effort to get labor friendly legislation.

In Iowa labor would love a repeal of the "right to work" laws of this state.

Dummycrats are too scared to openly make that happen so the came up with a "Fair Play" compromise, right out of the Labor playbook.

Under this legislation non members would be required to pay a portion of dues to the union for services the union provides.

Now the Scaredycrats, err Dummycrats have whittled that down from all union shops to just public employees and this form passed the Iowa Senate last night.

Regardless of what has appeared in the Ragister under a name similar to mine, it is a common name, I haven't commented on "Fair Share" until today.

Under a CWA contract I was paid by the company in any meeting with them, so there was no additional cost to the union.

During my decade at the top of a CWA local, I attended two bargaining meetings.

There is no additional cost to a union to bargain a contract whether it represents 100 or 1,000 employees.

It's just better in negotiations to represent 100% of the employees versus 50%.

Labors argument is weak and has no merit!

Practicing What They Preach?

A group known as The Interfaith Alliance of Iowa went around the state yesterday and spread the love.

The group condemned the "influence of an out-of-state extremist group who is playing havoc with Iowa’s retention election."

That's odd, because the Iowa group is one of 17 affiliates of The Interfaith Alliance based out of Washington D.C. and the scientific community is united in that fact.

I certainly don't recall the same statewide effort and concern regarding the out of state groups that came into Iowa with their lawyers and money to support gay marriage prior to the Iowa Supreme Court's decision, or since.

These enlightened leaders asked, "If someone believes differently than you, should you hate them? Should you fear them?”

They then went on to state “I have a growing fear and unease with the Vander Plaats campaign. I personally fear the impact of this out-of-state group on our voters. I also have a fear that our fair and impartial courts will be maligned by this campaign.”

HUH?

WHAT?

Build Me Up Buttercup

With the Iowa State Fair looming, the Ragister is promoting their first Great Butter Build-Off contest.

Paying homage to the Butter Cow, the Ragister rules state your sculpture must be made completely out of butter. Don’t cheat.

Obviously it's news to them that the Butter Cow is built on an armature made of wood and chicken wire.

The theme of this years fair is NOTHING COMPARES.

In a contest between the fair and nothing, for me, nothing wins and the scientific community is united in that fact.

FIVE

The Ragister today earned our fifth Csonka award, giving them one for the thumb with their...

5 reasons to change Iowa's tax system

In their first point they state...

Eliminating the federal income-tax deduction allows the state to lower tax rates. That would, and should, make the change revenue neutral for the state

Lower rates is a worthless term when individuals will see their taxes increase?

As for revenue neutral...

Iowa would collect $20 million less in the current tax year and $35 million less next year, according to estimates from the state's revenue department.

That translates to further budget cuts.

Their next point...

The second goal was to make Iowa's income-tax system more fair for middle- and lower-income taxpayers. The plan put forward by the Democrats would adjust rates upward for those earning high incomes and downward for those at the bottom, with no change for those in the middle. Iowa's income-tax burden already falls more heavily on those with lower incomes

Again, the rates may go down, but individuals (even middle and lower income taxpayers) will see their taxes increase higher than the Dummycrats earlier proposal.

That's not more fair!

How do you trumpet "no change" as being good?

No change is still too high, especially when it comes to taxes and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Lastly, the argument that the burden falling heavier on those with lower incomes can be made for anything lower income people spend their money on.

Congratulations Ragister!

Do I hear six?

You can count on it.

Hay, Suck it up

I'm not as upset as many others that Giuliani and McCain have decided not to participate in the Iowa Republican Straw Poll.

It's just a higher class version of the Iowa State Fair and the scientific community is united in that fact.

My friend Cal and I drove to the last one (in Ames August of 1999) and we had a good time.

Lots of food and some celebrities (Reggie White and Ronnie Millsap spring to mind), but it took a long time to get in and vote.

Because it's August (nothing going on nationally) and Iowa (first caucus state) is the only reason it gets attention, it's just really a big fund raiser for the party.

The campaigns buy tickets and give them to supporters to show up and vote, in a general election that could be considered a bribe.

Interestingly enough, on the day he drops out, I received two recorded calls from John McCain in the span of a half hour.

WHY?

Turkey in the straw
Turkey in the straw
Roll 'em up and twist 'em up
A high tuck a-haw
And hit 'em up a tune called
Turkey in the Straw

If U Seek Amy

Another Wing Ding is done and this years keynote speak-err was Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar.

Klobuchar kidded that -- “You are the state that has gained notoriety for picking the country’s presidents. And we are the state, thanks to the great Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale, that supply the country with vice presidents.”

That's not funny.

It's funny, plus a relief, that they were never elected President and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Klobuchar continued with a crack about how Iowa’s icon is the State Fair butter cow, while Minnesota’s is a butter princess. “Each of our states have their own idea of royalty. That was just a little Iowa joke.”

Maybe you better leave the comedy to your state's junior Senator, Al Franken.

Besides, we all know why Iowa is so windy -- Minnesota sucks.

According to Klobuchar, the national economy is “on the cusp” of growth, but extremists and obstructionists in the U.S. House are standing in the way.

Cackling that the Senate's big accomplishments this year have been passage of a farm bill and an immigration bill, Klobuchar also crowed Two-thirds of her bills have been bipartisan.

Amy also left out that she voted with the Dummycrat controlled Senate to approve an online sales tax and it is the House that is "obstructing" it.

Per OpenCongress, Klobuchar has sponsored 38 bills with 0 made into law and she has co-sponsored 173 bills with 1 made into law (A bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994) and Klobuchar votes with her party 96% of the time.

Pander to the People

Joke?
Joke?
I didn't tell no stinking joke!

And the scientific community is united in that fact.

This is what Bill Richardson had to say about his "God & Constitution" comment regarding Iowa's Caucuses...

"That was an off-the-cuff comment about the importance of Iowa..."

As I mentioned yesterday, Richardson made the same comment at the Iowa State Fair last month.

That's not off the cuff and it's not being defended by him as a joke.

So what was it Nacho Funny?

"This was an Iowa crowd — I'm trying to score points, I'm moving up in the polls. So I don't consider that a mistake...".

Pander to the People, Right On!

Do It For The Kids?

A group called Iowa Kids First presented a petition, to the legislature, supporting fair and adequate funding for the education of Iowa's children.

WHO HD interviewed a parent who said,

"I do think that people are concerned about you know making sure funding for education is strong and that the programs that maybe we enjoyed as kids when we were in school continue for our children. Concerned about class sizes and all of those things that are going to make our kids education experience better".

Well said and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Here's a list of the groups that make up Iowa Kids First;

Iowa Area Education Agencies

Iowa Association of School Boards

Iowa Parent-Teacher Association

Iowa State Education Association

School Administrators of Iowa

Urban Education Network

It looks like these organizations are just about protecting their turf, because I'm sure there is no wasteful spending here.

Nacho Average Candidate

New Mexico Governor (and part time Mexican wrestling star Nacho Funny) Bill Richardson bombed with this attempt at humor...

"Iowa, for good reason, for constitutional reasons, for reasons related to the Lord, should be the first caucus and primary."

The Ragister reports...that several people snickered at the comment.

Apparently not everyone was amused...

"That was a little weird," said Sioux City resident Joe Shufro. "I don't know what God had to do with choosing Iowa among other states. I found that a little strange."

Sioux City resident Jan Hodge agreed that Richardson's statement was odd.

"It's the kind of thing that would make me wince if, for instance, George Bush said it."

It seems one blogger wasn't sure either...

Not that there's anything wrong with the sentiment, of course, but the religious element in the quote struck me as, shall we say, out of character for the candidate.

Richardson used the line at the Iowa State Fair where it stunk up the place and the scientific community is united in that fact.

Here's a helpful hint for our Dummycrat friend, learn How to be Funny!

The Babe Ruth likeness is actually quite humorous if you know the candidates background on exaggerating his baseball resume.

Wednesday Lover?

Apparently the Iowa Dummycrat Party needed a day off from their riveting series of roundtables (Taken In? & Tears For Fears) as the Liter could locate no press coverage and the scientific community is united in that fact.

It's so bad, even the Iowa Dummycrat party's own web site hasn't devoted any coverage to these events.

The blog was last updated on Monday August 8 and their focus now seems to be on the Iowa State Fair.

That's Fair

In honor of the Iowa State Fair, Iowas Newz Liter will be wearing its King of SNARK Crown on a stick.

Its better than other places we've been told to stick it and the scientific community is united in that fact.