Michael Franken

As the J6 Committee hearings roll on there is little question that the then president was the driving force behind an attempt to end our constitutional government in the US after some 230 years. There had been little question before that. The Committee has simply put a lot of flesh on the bones of what most Americans believed was true.

What has been amazing is that the current Republican Party, instead of condemning this attack on the government that has provided Americans with a good structure for a couple of centuries, has instead almost 100% chosen to rally behind a man who committed treason.

Such support for Trump surely brings us to question the motives of those supporters. Why would Chuck Grassley support a man who seems to have committed open treason? That certainly belies any claims he makes of working for the best interests of the country. The best interests of the country would be to root out those involved in or sympathetic to the insurrection.

Grassley needs to be pressed on this at campaign appearances. Which is more important – Trump or the country? As of right now, Grassley is siding with Trump and his followers. Is Grassley so scared of being called a RINO that he is afraid to stand up for what is right. 

On a similar note, Grassley voted NO on the compromise gun bill the other day. This is not a man of integrity who wants to put life over the gun industry. This is a man who gets tons of money from the gun industry and votes for them no matter what. Once bought he stays bought. But that is not good for Iowa.

I sometimes wonder if the school age children of Iowa – just short of 500,000 – each ponied up $5 and gave it to Grassley for him to vote to regulate guns if that would do anything? These kids just want to get an education without the fear that some loser will burst into their classroom and blast them away. Is that asking too much?

Frustration and fear is really starting to settle in for many Americans following the SCOTUS decision Thursday to strike down New York state’s restrictions on concealed carry. This case will be the springboard for ending almost all restrictions on guns in this country. 

Therefore in short order, a person may be well advised to be wary that any person they interact with could easily be packing a pistol. We were once told this would make for a more polite society. It will certainly make for a more fearful society. One of the people we can thank for this is Grassley.

Grassley who stopped a SCOTUS nomination by ignoring the constitutional provisions of the constitution. Grassley who worked for the election of a thoroughly unqualified person for president. Grassley who now supports that same person even after he committed treason.

Mike Franken has been a breath of fresh air in the rancid atmosphere of recent Iowa politics. Franken has an extremely distinguished public career rising to the rank of 3 star admiral in the US Navy. Folks, he is competent! And he has a set of values learned in a much more normal Iowa that has served him well.

In a recent email, he reminded Iowans how their state has always been at the forefront of progress in America:

Fox News and my opponent Chuck Grassley are hot to paint me as “liberal.” They’re already calling me a radical socialist who is the most liberal person to ever run for office. (*eye roll*)

Bit of history: Iowa was one of the first states to open college for women, to elect women to public office, and admit female lawyers to the bar. We were the second state in the nation to allow interracial marriage and the first state to desegregate public schools. Iowa is home to America’s oldest mosque, and we were the third state to recognize same-sex marriage.

You would think the good Senator would recall these events… Perhaps Grassley has forgotten Iowa and who we are – or maybe he’s just once again playing partisan politics and courting the support of far-right fringe groups to try to win reelection.

Iowa has always been a place of progressive values, and I am running against Chuck Grassley because it’s time to return our state to its roots of advocating equality and caring for one another.

Mike Franken will not be for sale to the highest bidder. It is time for Iowa to pick the guy who will put Iowa values first.

Iowans deserve a guy who will fight for them and their children, not the top 1%. Mike Franken is that guy.