DES MOINES - Obama for America is releasing a new television ad that highlights President Obama's commitment to issues important to women and their families.  The new ad - "The Same" - draws the stark contrast between President Obama and the Romney-Ryan ticket's record on women's health. 

Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have taken extreme positions on issues that matter to women and their families. From promising to "get rid of" Planned Parenthood to backing proposals that would take away a woman's right to choose, women recognize they cannot trust the Romney-Ryan ticket to stand up for them.


President Obama is committed to protecting women's health because he knows that women are capable of making their own choices when it comes to their health care. The President has repeatedly fought back against Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood, and believes that women - not politicians or the government - should be in control of their own health decisions.  President Obama knows that access to quality, affordable health care means a stronger American middle class.

"The Same" will air in Colorado, Nevada, Virginia, Ohio, Florida, Iowa.


Please click HERE to watch the ad and HERE to learn more about President Obama's record on issues important to women and their families.

Greetings Fellow Republicans,

Earlier this month people across the country, including thousands upon thousands in Iowa, came out in support of Chick-fil-A restaurant. Together they gave Chick-fil-A it's largest day of business ever in a show of support for the free speech rights of it's CEO Dan Cathy.

The Republican Party of Iowa strongly values freedom of speech and the ability for everyone, regardless of political or religious belief to express themselves. Today I am proud to unveil our newest program, an initiative appropropriately deemed, "The Patriot Club"

Join the Patriot Club with a $10 monthly donation and you'll automatically receive a $10 gift card to Chick-fil-A as a special gift from the Republican Party of Iowa! We'll even mail the gift card right to your home.


We believe Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy has the right to express his political beliefs, even if they are not seen as politically correct by liberals. If you agree, then please join the Patriot Club today and help us defend this important personal liberty. This new program will allow us to focus even more time, energy and resources on getting Republicans elected statewide. It will also allow the party to save money, better plan for the future and put additional resources into our solid candidates throughout Iowa.

Click here to learn more about the Patriot Club and get your $10 Chick-fil-A gift card!

I am also very excited to announce the Republican Party of Iowa has a brand new website! My staff and I have been working very hard to redesign our website and ensure Republican voters, activists and candidates have the tools they need to be successful. Over time this new website will grow and have even more tremendous features. The address is the same as before: www.IowaGOP.org but you will find it has been given a complete makeover.

On the new website you will find upcoming events in your area, information about Republican candidates running for office at the federal, state and local level, as well as the latest news and press releases from the Party. You will be able to sign up to volunteer and get updates on events in your area. Visit our new website by clicking here.

Everyone here at the Republican Party of Iowa is thrilled to roll out the new website. We believe it will give us a competitive advantage this election cycle and we hope you like it as much as we do!

 

To Victory,


A.J. Spiker
Chairman, Republican Party of Iowa

P.S. I am tremendously excited to unveil both our brand new website and our "Patriot Club" program. Help us defend freedom of speech and support Republican candidates this November and receive your $10 Chick-fil-A gift card as a special thank you from the Republican Party of Iowa. Click here to join the Patriot Club with an initial $10 donation.
First, kudos to Mitt Romney for choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate. Now, the danger: Romney, Ryan, their surrogates, their supporters and the American people will continue to treat election 2012 as just another contest to determine whose hand is at the helm of state for the next four years.

No, this election is for keeps. If Barack Obama doesn't lose his bid for a second term, he and his vast, left-wing support network of Marx-inspired think tanks, strategists and elected officials will fulfill Obama's 2008 campaign promise to "fundamentally" transform this nation, thus bringing the American experiment in liberty to what could be the final curtain.

This is not idle hyperbole. I have just finished Aaron Klein and Brenda J. Elliott's chilling new book, "Fool Me Twice: Obama's Shocking Plans for the Next Four Years Exposed" (WND Books). I recommend it as must-reading for all Americans, but particularly for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. In their run for the White House, the GOP standard-bearers don't seem to realize what they are up against - and, by extension, what lies in store for us all if they are not victorious in November.

"Fool Me Twice" is Klein and Elliott's third in-depth political study of Obama. "The Manchurian President" (2010) examines Obama's lifelong ties to anti-American radicals; "Red Army" (2011) explores Obama White House links to the Marx-inspired policy world where, in research papers and "progressive" legislation, the foundations of Obamacare, for example, went unnoticed for years before being passed in 2010.

Having learned to track the left's policymaking subculture, the authors now turn to what an Obama second term likely holds. To this end, they examined thousands of documents, including initiatives from the Center for American Progress, or CAP (the Obama administration's "idea factory," as Time magazine calls it); sundry pieces of legislation introduced by "progressives" in Congress; and both well-known promises and little-known executive orders issued by Obama himself. The book-length result is what Klein describes as "the secret template for Obama's next four years - the one actually created by Obama's own top advisers and strategists."

In meticulous detail, the authors lay out the plans of Obama and his allies to, among other things: reconceive of U.S. defense as a fight against "climate change," national sovereignty and other leftist bogeymen; "green"-ify the U.S. energy industry; open U.S. borders and register illegal aliens who are soon to be given amnesty by Obama (and who overwhelmingly vote Democrat); and, of course, move to a single-payer government health-care system. From the morass of technical jargon and policy wonkdom the authors sift through emerges a terrifyingly sharp image of centralized federal control of practically everything - even political dissent on the airwaves via the so-called Fairness Doctrine.

This not-so-nascent form of totalitarian power is what the 2012 election is all about. Whether they realize it - and they don't - Americans are about to decide whether to empower the increasingly dictatorial executive branch of Barack Hussein Obama, whose future plans to distort "checks and balances" promises to transform the U.S. government out of all recognition, or to break the momentum of government centralization by electing Romney-Ryan.

Most Americans, ill-served by mum media and silent politicians, will be shocked at the executive branch usurpation of powers Klein and Elliott describe as being in the hopper, and always at the expense of the people through the steady attrition of congressional powers. For example, there are plans "to wrest budgetary control from Congress" of Pentagon purse strings and vest them in an "independent panel," and ideas to strip Congress of its powers over immigration by empowering a White House panel to allocate all visas. Other centralizing and, in fact, truly fascist ideas afoot include plans for a federal "green bank," which would use taxpayer dollars to finance "clean" energy companies (such as the notorious and now-bankrupt company Solyndra), as well as a national infrastructure "bank," which, as the authors put it, "would concentrate even more power in Washington while creating a giant cesspool for government cronyism and corruption."

All of which is to say, this election is not merely about jobs or deficit spending or fixing Medicare, as the Romney-Ryan ticket would have us believe. Such blinkers only lull the electorate into complacency and, worse, preserve the Obama machine's politics-as-usual cover.

Election 2012 is anything but politics as usual. It is an existential crisis. For many reasons, I would vote for my dog over Obama-Biden, not least of which is that she always warns me of danger. Romney-Ryan must find the courage and love of country to do the same.

www.wnd.com/2012/08/why-republics-fate-really-does-hang-on-election/


ABOUT YOUR GUEST: Aaron Klein is a New York Times bestselling author, journalist and radio host. He is senior reporter for WND and hosts "Aaron Klein Investigative Radio" on New York's WABC Radio, the nation's largest talk station. Klein's program is one of only two weekend shows in the U.S. to make the Talkers Heavy Hundred official list of top American radio shows. His previous books include Red Army, The Manchurian President, The Late Great State of Israel and Schmoozing with Terrorists.

ABOUT YOUR GUEST: Brenda J. Elliott is an award-winning historian, researcher and New York Times bestselling author. She is the blogger who created RezkoWatch (RW), TheRealBarackObama (RBO) and RBO2. She has appeared on hundreds of radio shows, contributed to numerous investigative articles and publications and is the co-author of Red Army and The Manchurian President.

The reviews are in on President Obama's grassroots swing across Iowa. The President crossed the state talking about the importance of Iowa's wind industry and building an economy from the middle out instead of the top down.

"From the military wife, to the middle school science teacher, to the union representative, to the family self-sufficiency coach, to the other 2,900 in attendance -- one and all took their own piece of inspiration from President Barack Obama's campaign speech Wednesday at the Alliant Energy Amphitheater in the Port of Dubuque," writes the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald. The Denison Bulletin & Review pens the trip "provided an opportunity that few Americans are afforded - the chance to meet a president in person." The Marshalltown Times-Republican cites that a "historic moment was made Tuesday" when President Obama became the first sitting President since Franklin D. Roosevelt to visit Marshalltown.  Here's a full rundown on what Iowa newspapers are saying about the President's trip:

Obama champions middle class in Oskaloosa speech (Oskaloosa Herald, 8/14). President Barack Obama told the audience at his campaign stop in Oskaloosa Tuesday that they have a critical choice to make at the polls this November. "It is a choice between two fundamentally different visions of how America became great and how it's going to stay great," Obama said to 852-person audience gathered underneath shade trees at Nelson Pioneer Farm just outside Oskaloosa. http://oskaloosa.com/local/x1040821729/Obama-Clear-differences-between-candidates

Obama rallies supporters in Boone (Webster City Freeman Journal, 8/14). President Barack Obama said it was good to be back in Boone County for a campaign stop yesterday afternoon at Herman Park. Crowds packed the park pavilion, chanting "four more years" in support of the President. He began his speech by stressing the importance of the coming election. "It is not just a choice between two candidates or two political parties, but more than any election in recent memory, this is a choice between two fundamentally different visions about how we move this country forward," Obama said. http://www.freemanjournal.net/page/content.detail/id/519884/Obama-rallies-supporters-in-Boone.html?nav=5006

Obama: Election choice will impact generations (Des Moines Register, 8/14). President Barack Obama kicked off his three-day Iowa tour with a clarion call to view this election as a stark choice about America's future ? and ended the day in the Bud Tent at the Iowa State Fair. Before he got to his Bud Light and pork chop, there was plenty of red meat politics, and lots of idyllic Iowa scenes. He stopped at a farm to talk about the drought and rode by scores of wind towers, hundreds of people waving American flags, and thousands of acres of drought-shriveled corn. http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20120814/NEWS09/308140049/Obama-Election-choice-will-impact-generations?Frontpage&nclick_check=1

Obama: 'We've been very good for the farm economy' (Carroll Daily Times, 8/14). President Barack Obama Monday announced a raft of agricultural initiatives aimed at stemming the fallout from the worst drought in a generation.  At the same time, while the full effect of Mother Nature's stinginess with rain in much of the nation unfolds, the president told a reporters' roundtable in Boone that his administration deserved some credit for the generally favorable farm economy over the past four years. http://www.carrollspaper.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=14407

Obama's message to voters: This one counts (Nonpareil, 8/13). For the first time on an overcast morning, the sun came out as President Barack Obama took the stage at Bayliss Park Monday. It was an electric atmosphere as an estimated 4,300 packed the park to catch a glimpse of the president as he kicked off three days of campaign activities across Iowa in Council Bluffs. Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder songs blared through the public address system as an anxious crowd waited for the commander and chief, but it was U2's "Beautiful Day" that blasted forth as Obama mounted the stairs. http://www.southwestiowanews.com/council_bluffs/news/obama-s-message-to-voters-this-one-counts/article_213ea8ae-e57b-11e1-9f85-0019bb2963f4.html

A presidential visit in Denison (Denison Bulletin & Review, 8/14). The combination of President Barack Obama's schedule and Denison's location along the route of two campaign stops on Monday - Council Bluffs and Boone - provided an opportunity that few Americans are afforded - the chance to meet a president in person. President Obama's motorcade traveled Highway 30 from Missouri Valley to Boone Monday afternoon and stopped at around 3 p.m. at Summer Magic tropical sno for one of Obama's favorite treats - shaved ice. http://www.southwestiowanews.com/denison/news/local_news/a-presidential-visit-in-denison/article_e5855b3c-e647-11e1-8245-0019bb2963f4.html

Obama says Romney doesn't understand importance of wind energy (Radio Iowa, 8/14). President Obama touted "home grown" wind energy today during a midday speech in Oskaloosa and criticized Republican rival Mitt Romney for opposing extension of the wind production tax credit. "He said that new sources of energy, like wind, are imaginary. His running mate calls them a fad," Obama said. http://www.radioiowa.com/2012/08/14/obama-says-romney-doesnt-understand-importance-of-wind-energy/

Obama: Clear differences between candidates (Ottumwa Courier, 8/14). President Barack Obama spent much of a half-hour speech in Oskaloosa drawing distinctions between himself and Republican challenger Mitt Romney.  "It is a choice between two fundamentally different visions on the path we need to take for our kids and our grandkids," Obama said. http://ottumwacourier.com/cnhi/x1744866290/Obama-Clear-differences-between-candidates

An historic hail to the chief (Marshalltown Times-Republican, 8/15). As President Barack Obama walked across the Miller Middle School gym floor arriving at the podium and saying "Hello Marshalltown," an historic moment was made Tuesday. Obama is the first sitting president to visit Marshalltown since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940. http://www.timesrepublican.com/page/content.detail/id/551903/An-historic-hail-to-the-chief.html?nav=5005

Obama attacks Romney's economic plan during stop in Waterloo (WCF Courier, 8/15). President Barack Obama stressed an economic message Tuesday night in Waterloo, saying electing Mitt Romney would mean a return to trickle-down economics. Speaking before a crowd of 1,800 at the RiverLoop Amphitheatre, Obama criticized Romney's economic plans, saying the idea of giving more tax breaks to wealthy Americans won't help the middle class and won't stimulate the economy. http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/update-obama-attacks-romney-s-economic-plan-during-stop-in/article_e82b251a-e66f-11e1-bb15-001a4bcf887a.html

Estimated crowd of 3,000 hears Obama speak in East Davenport (Quad City Times, 8/15). President Barack Obama criticized Republican rival Mitt Romney and running mate, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, telling thousands of people at two rallies Wednesday in eastern Iowa that he has protected Medicare, but the Republican ticket would turn it into a voucher system and end the program "as we know it." The argument over the health insurance program for seniors could be crucial, particularly in Iowa, a swing state with a large number of elderly. http://qctimes.com/news/local/estimated-crowd-of-hears-obama-speak-in-east-davenport/article_8e96ac3e-e685-11e1-8e31-0019bb2963f4.html

Obamas woo Dubuque (Telegraph Herald, 8/16). From the military wife, to the middle school science teacher, to the union representative, to the family self-sufficiency coach, to the other 2,900 in attendance -- one and all took their own piece of inspiration from President Barack Obama's campaign speech Wednesday at the Alliant Energy Amphitheater in the Port of Dubuque. http://www.thonline.com/news/tri-state/article_35dade16-ea74-56d3-a60b-4b949d0fb8c3.html

Detour: President thanks teachers (Telegraph Herald, 8/16). It was quite a back-to-school surprise. Teachers in the Western Dubuque Community School District were participating in their first official day of meetings for the new school year on Wednesday at Cascade High School when President Barack Obama made an unannounced visit. http://www.thonline.com/news/tri-state/article_4c7690f9-f871-5903-91d7-60871d2aed8e.html

Most Iowans know that U.S. Representatives write laws that affect many Americans. However, it is less known that Representatives provide assistance to their constituents every day of the week. Representative Braley has helped thousands of Iowans cut through red tape, fight for federal assistance, and improve their personal situations.

Rep. Braley's proudest accomplishments include helping Iowans and ensuring their needs are met. Many of Rep. Braley's legislative accomplishments have been inspired by these constituents, and he works hard every day to ensure that Iowans get what they need from the federal government.

Helping Iowans is incredibly important, and the following includes just a few examples of the thousands of Iowans that Rep. Braley has assisted.

With that, here are a few examples of Bruce Braley's Constituent Assistance Cases:

Getting Results for Iowa Businesses and Workers

Helped Russell Electric keep its doors open, Bettendorf:

  • Jeff Lanum is the CEO of Russell Electric, a local electric company in Bettendorf. The company was on the verge of closing the doors because the Department of Labor had not paid almost $500,000 to the company. After Braley pushed the DOL, it paid Russell Electric, which was able to save jobs and keep the business open.

Job Training at Community Colleges in Eastern Iowa:

  • Rep. Braley created the New Era Rural Technology Grant Program when he passed the first bill he introduced, the New Era Act, into law.  Then, he helped get grant funds for Iowa community colleges to train the next generation of biofuels technicians.  Rep. Braley secured job training funding for Hawkeye Community College (Waterloo), Eastern Iowa Community College (Quad Cities) and Northeast Iowa Community College (Calmar) to provide the job skills that Iowans will need to fill the biofuels workforce.

Getting Results for Iowa Veterans

Accessible Housing for the Connolly Family, Dubuque:

  • Andrew Connolly was an Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran who served in the Iowa National Guard 1-133rd.  He lost the use of his legs due to cancer near his spine, and the cancer then spread.  Andrew and his wife, Jenny, have a severely disabled young son, Brody, who will need medical care his entire life.  When Andrew's son was born he and his wife knew they would need a home that could accommodate his needs.  That need became more urgent after Andrew's disease progressed.  Rep. Braley helped Andrew get an upgraded VA disability rating, and secured a special VA housing grant to build a new home for the family, which is fully handicapped-accessible.  Andrew passed away in August 2011, though Jenny and Brody now have a fully accessible home to live in.  Braley also passed into law the Andrew Connolly Veterans Housing Act, to ensure that more disabled veterans have access to these important housing grants.

Secured Overdue Pay and GI Bill Benefits for Hundreds of Members of the Iowa National Guard, 1-133rd, Statewide:

  • There are roughly 800 Iowa Guard soldiers who are now getting the pay they earned because of Rep. Braley's work on their behalf, when the Pentagon tried to deny these benefits.  In addition, Rep. Braley made sure that nearly 600 Iowa National Guard soldiers could take advantage of the GI Bill, and some of those have since gone to college thanks to those benefits.

Helping Iowa Veterans get the Medals they've Earned - For Example: Zane Thorpe, Dubuque:

  • Zane Thorpe is a WWII veteran who was eligible for several medals including the Purple Heart. He had not received any of the medals for his service. Braley worked with the National Personnel Records Center and Thorpe was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and several other medals. Braley presented the medals immediately following Zane's 89th birthday.

Fighting for the Well-Being of Iowa troops - For Example: Jennifer Short, Winthrop:

  • Jennifer disagreed with the findings of the Formal Physical Evaluation Board regarding her PTSD as not being combat-related and other discrepancies with the findings of her other medical issues. She contacted the Braley office for help with having the Air Force take a careful look at this and ensure a fair decision based on the evidence submitted. Rep. Braley worked closely with the Air Force on her behalf, and in May 2012 she received a favorable outcome.

Getting Results when Iowans Need it Most - Disaster Relief

Replaced the Iowa Northern Rail Bridge in Waterloo and Cedar River Rail Bridge in Cedar Rapids:

  • These two major rail bridges collapsed in the 2008 flooding, and Rep. Braley was immediately in touch with the rail companies and government officials.  Due to Rep. Braley's work, Iowa Northern gained access to federal funds which enabled them to quickly rebuild the Waterloo bridge, and CRANDIC railroad received new funds for the Cedar Rapids bridge.  These bridges are critical transportation arteries for Iowa businesses including John Deere and Alliant Energy, and they were rebuilt quickly due to Braley's prompt action to secure disaster funding.

Secured Replacement Computers for Waverly-Shell Rock Washington Irving Elementary School, Waverly:

  • After the Disasters of 2008, Rep. Braley worked with the Library of Congress to replace 16 destroyed computers at Waverly-Shell Rock Washington Irving Elementary School. Braley presented the computers to the school about four months after the flooding, and they were immediately put into use in the classroom.

Got Results to Clean Up after a Massive Fire, Maquoketa:

  • After a severe fire destroyed many buildings in downtown Maquoketa, the building owners were underinsured so the city was facing huge cleanup costs, coupled with concerns that debris was contaminated with asbestos. Braley helped secure and expedite an Environmental Protection Agency grant to assist with the debris removal, which allowed the city to recover much faster than without that assistance.

Getting Results for Iowa Families

Secured Benefits for the James Family following Tragedy, Dubuque:

  • Dubuque native Holley Lynn James was murdered by her husband while serving in the Armed Forces, in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  After she was killed, Rep. Braley helped her father, Jesse James of Dubuque, secure Holley's benefits so they could be put in a trust for her children, which was completed in 2010.  In 2011, the family again faced problems with the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Rep. Braley was able to secure Tricare coverage for Holley's children.  Rep. Braley has also introduced the Holley Lynn James Act, and passed legislation into law that will help prevent military sexual assault and domestic violence in the future.

Helped the Craig Family Adopt a Child, Des Moines & Waterloo:

  • In 2011, Rep. Braley was contacted by the Waterloo parents of Jonathan and Kayla Craig.  Jonathan and Kayla were trying to adopt a baby boy from Nigeria, and were being told by the US Embassy in Lagos, Nigeria that their son Joseph's adoption was not legal. After several weeks of late-night phone calls and emails with the US Embassy and State Department, Braley was able to obtain an IR-4 visa for Joseph. This was the first time an IR-4 visa had ever been issued in Nigeria, and Joseph arrived at his new home in Des Moines in late 2011.  Inspired by Joseph, Rep. Braley introduced the Making Adoption Affordable Act, to improve the adoption tax credits so that more families are able to provide homes to children in need.

Secured Funding for the Mobile Mammography Unit in Northeastern Iowa, West Union:

  • This traveling unit, based in West Union, goes to rural communities to provide free mammograms for Iowa women.  Braley secured the funding for this unit, which was provided to Gundersen Lutheran hospital, who now runs the mobile mammography unit.  As of mid-2011, the Unit had provided over 2,700 mammograms, and found 11 benign and 4 malignant tumors to women in Northeastern Iowa and the other states in the region.

Fought for Increased Pay for Iowa Doctors and Hospitals, Benefiting Seniors:

  • Rep. Braley secured a 5% Medicare pay increase for Iowa doctors in 2010 and 2011, and $33 million in payments to historically-underpaid Iowa hospitals in 2011 and 2012.  These bonus payments, which help make up for years of underpayments due to a flawed Medicare equation, have helped make sure more providers accept Medicare patients, which improves both access and quality of care for Iowa seniors.

# # #

Urges Republican Leaders and Legislators to Rise to Occasion, Vote for Nekritz Proposal to Eliminate Unfunded Liability

CHICAGO - August 16, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn issued the following statement on Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair.

"Today, as Illinois republicans rally at the State Fair, I urge them to rise to the occasion to pass comprehensive pension reform in Illinois.

"At the end of the spring session, republican leaders, who have long advocated for fiscal responsibility, supported a similar proposal that is now being sponsored by Rep. Elaine Nekritz. To ease republican concerns, we have extended the phase-in period to allow school districts and universities to assume their own negotiated salary costs over 12 years. This extended phase-in period will ensure that school districts and universities are responsible for their compensation packages, while preventing property tax increases.

"The statutorily-required pension payments guaranteed under the 1995 ramp make it very clear:  inaction on pension reform is the greatest threat to property taxpayers.

"This fiscal year, the General Assembly cut education by $210 million. These cuts impact our students, while placing tremendous pressure on our school districts, universities and property taxpayers.

"Universities have indicated, in a public letter, that they support the Nekritz proposal and are willing to accept the phased-in cost realignment.

"Without comprehensive pension reform, Illinois is on track to spend more on pensions than education by fiscal year 2016. This is an unsustainable path that will not only shortchange our children when it comes to quality education, but also make the problem worse. Illinois' unfunded liability will grow to $92 billion next year without bold action.

"Tomorrow, republicans and democrats have an opportunity to be honest with the taxpayers of our state. I urge them to put politics aside, rescue Illinois from empty promises that led to skyrocketing pension costs and pass comprehensive pension reform."

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CHICAGO -- Obama for America released a new television advertisement today titled "Get Real" that highlights the clear choice for voters between Mitt Romney and President Obama's plans for higher education. Mitt Romney thinks that students should "borrow money" from their parents to help pay for college or start a business, and under the Romney-Ryan budget, college aid would be cut for nearly 10 million students and the tax deduction for college tuition would be eliminated. President Obama, on the other hand, understands that a college education should be in reach for as many students as possible - and that's why he has overhauled higher education financing by eliminating bank middlemen from college loans and used the savings to double funding for Pell Grants.

"Get Real" will air in Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, Virginia.

Please click HERE to watch the new ad.

CHICAGO -- With President Obama continuing to campaign in Iowa today, it's important to note how local editorial boards have publicly rebuked Mitt Romney's opposition to the Wind Energy Tax Credit, which is set to expire at the end of this year. Unlike President Obama, who supports extending the tax credit, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan want to let the credits expire, which would put thousands of jobs at risk in Iowa and other states. The Romney-Ryan plan isn't just bad for jobs in Iowa - it's also deeply unpopular with voters and Republican officials in Iowa, who strongly support extending the tax credit and continuing to support the state's growing wind energy industry.

 

Below is just a snapshot of local coverage from Romney-Ryan's opposition to the tax credit:

 

Romney should revisit wind tax issue

Cedar Rapids Gazette // Editorial

Romney opposes an extension of the federal wind energy tax credit when it expires this year. That stand is at odds with the entire Iowa congressional delegation, including Reps. Tom Latham and Steve King and Sen. Chuck Grassley, all Republicans, as well as Republican Gov. Terry Branstad, who says Romney just needs a little more education on the topic.  ...We agree with the governor.

 

Our opinion: On wind energy, Romney blows it

Dubuque Telegraph Herald // Editorial

Romney reveals a lack of understanding of the importance of wind energy. ...Among the flaws in this logic is that subsidies give wind an unfair advantage. Over coal? Over natural gas? These industries have the infrastructure built over a century of being consumers' only option. As wind energy attempts to make inroads, the subsidies are merely helping it gain footing.

 

The Register editorial: Wind tax credits should be extended

Des Moines Register  // Editorial

Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, may have tilted at the wrong windmills when he said he would allow wind energy tax credits to expire. The incentive for erecting wind generators is very popular in Iowa and other Midwestern states that are harnessing the clean power of the prairie zephyrs. ...Iowa is especially big on wind. This state is ranked No. 2, behind only Texas, in wind generation capacity, and it employs more people than any other state building and maintaining wind towers and turbines.

 

Turning up the heat on renewable fuels

Spencer Daily Publisher // Paula Buenger, Publisher

Add to the conversation the Romney campaign's pledge to do away with the wind energy tax credits if he is elected. Without support for ethanol or wind energy, the US suddenly becomes much more dependent on foreign oil and, as a result, more interested in the affairs of state in countries we really would rather not be in. I have a feeling the heat will stay high on this issue for a long time to come.

 

Editorial: Wanting more details on Romney's PTC position

West Branch Times // Editorial

Staff members of the likely Republican candidate have recently said that he would favor ending the PTC, but they did not state whether he would favor phasing it out or ending it immediately. The PTC directly benefits Acciona Windpower in West Branch because it provides tax credits of 2.2 cents per kilowatt hour from wind facilities in service before Dec. 31, 2012. Both Republicans and Democrats from Iowa's Congressional caucus support the PTC because it helps support 6,000 to 7,000 jobs here.

 

Wind energy tax breaks are bipartisan in Iowa

Ames Tribune // Editorial

The Iowa Republicans are right. Wind is important. It's big business here, and Iowa is a leader in the industry... But wind energy is also a young industry, competing with the deeply entrenched fossil fuel industry ? which also receives billions in government subsidies every year. Wind needs a help a little longer to get established.

 

 

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???"Women Speak Out: Abortion is Not Health Care" Travels through Five Swing States

Washington, D.C. ? Today, the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) announced a five state "Women Speak Out: Abortion is Not Health Care" bus tour through swing states, August 20 to 30.  The bus tour will draw attention to President Obama's extreme record on abortion and be led by former Colorado Rep. Marilyn Musgrave and pro-life nurse and whistleblower Jill Stanek, who exposed then state-senator Barack Obama's refusal to protect live children who survived the abortion procedure.

The bus tour will travel to 30 cities throughout the key swing states of Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio, Virginia, and Florida.  National and local pro-life women leaders will call for the defeat of President Obama and pro-abortion House and Senate candidates including Christie Vilsack (IA), Tammy Baldwin (WI), Sherrod Brown (OH), Tim Kaine (VA), and Bill Nelson (FL). A tentative schedule is available at www.SBAbus.com

Local and statewide pro-life women leaders will join up with the bus at various stops, including: Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, Rep. Jean Schmidt (OH-02), Dr. Alveda C. King, Star Parker, Polly Jordan, wife of Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-04), and Melissa Ohden, pro-life speaker and abortion survivor.

"President Obama began his term in office speaking about 'common ground' on the abortion issue, however, Obama has repeatedly shown that there are no limits to his abortion extremism.  From expanding taxpayer funding of abortion under the guise of 'health care', to forcing taxpayers to underwrite the nation's #1 abortion business, Planned Parenthood, refusing to defend baby girls from the deadly discrimination of sex-selective abortion, to exporting taxpayer funding of abortion overseas, President Obama's record on abortion is nothing but extreme," said Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List. "President Obama and his team of fellow abortion extremists in Congress do not represent the interests of American women and families. We aim to see them defeated come November."

"President Obama's extremism on abortion is completely out of line with mainstream Americans. As an Illinois state senator, Barack Obama refused to protect born children who survived the abortion procedure, preferring to allow them to die abandoned in hospital closets" said Jill Stanek, nurse turned pro-life activist who witnessed newborn babies left to die at Christ Hospital in Illinois. "Americans deserve to know that President Obama has no limits when it comes to abortion before heading to the ballot box in November."

For a complete list of bus tour co-sponsors, tour schedule, as well as to learn more about President Obama's record on abortion, visit www.SBAbus.com

The Susan B. Anthony List, and its connected Political Action Committee, the SBA List Candidate Fund, are dedicated to electing candidates and pursuing policies that will reduce and ultimately end abortion. To that end, the SBA List will emphasize the election, education, promotion, and mobilization of pro-life women.

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Iowa State Fair

Monday, August 13th, 2012 | 1:00 PM

Des Moines Register's Soapbox
3000 East Grand Ave
Des Moines, IA 50317

To RSVP, please visit: www.mittromney.com/states/Iowa
For questions, contact us at: teamIA@mittromney.com or (515) 758-0492

For important campaign updates: Text (IA) to GOMITT (466488)

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