On this weekend’s episode of Iowa Press, as if it were a normal, natural, perfectly reasonable thing, Iowa Press moderator Kay Henderson opened the show this way:

“Bob Vander Plaats and his Family Leader organization still wield power and influence among conservative Christians in Iowa. We’ll sit down and talk politics with him on this edition of Iowa Press.”

Sorry, but it just seems a bit ironic that the reason he is invited to be on a political show is because he is a religious leader.  In Iowa, evangelical Christians – are very much involved with what goes on at the capitol.  The panel did ask BVP the question, what about other religions and what about the separation of church and state. To which he replied separation of church and state only has to do with protecting church from state not the other way around. Yes, he got away with that.

Two things stand out in this episode of Iowa Press. First, there were several deeply disturbing things BVP said which illuminated the deeply disturbing reality of who is controlling our state government. The other thing that stood out to me was that the panel actually asked some decent questions for a change. They didn’t follow up on everything he said, but they did a pretty good job with the questions.

Clay Masters asked, did BVP think the three judges who didn’t rule their way on abortion should be impeached?  BVP said, “I definitely think that should be on the table.”

Masters followed up with, “where do you draw the line? This seems to be politicizing the judiciary.” You’ll have to watch for BVP’s response.

Henderson pointed out that a “firm majority of Iowans believe there should be access to abortion.”

BVP replied in part, “what a great opportunity for the church to be the hands and feet of Jesus at this time in a post-Roe world.”

The conversation turned to presidential candidates. When asked about Trump BVP changed the subject.  “I think what you’re seeing with Joe Biden and with Kamala Harris or whether it’s Newsom or Michelle Obama, it is an extreme out of step agenda for this country.”

Michelle Obama? Is she running?

Henderson: “So, what does Michelle Obama have to do with policy at the federal level?”

Go Kay! Proud of you!

BVP: “I bring up Michelle Obama because I believe she still will be a player in 2024.”

Hey Bob, really not Christian of you what you did there.

Not all of the panel’s questions were great. Like this one:

Henderson: “You have a big event coming up at which Tucker Carlson will be sort of an emcee. Has Fox News given you any grief about that?”

BVP seemed happy to report, “Fox News has given us no grief at all. And Tucker Carlson, I asked him, he’s a friend and I asked him back in February, and he said, boy I’d love to do this and he got the thumbs up from Fox to do it.”

Yippee. Pope Bob gushing over the likes of Tucker Carlson.  If it wasn’t all so sad and pathetic it would be hilarious.

Brianne Pfannenstiel’s questions about BVP’s assessment of the Republican candidates seemed totally irrelevant to what Iowans need to know. Not everyone in Iowa, not even every Republican, is an evangelical Christian or cares in the slightest what BVP thinks about his fellow MAGA R’s.  Bob said himself, “I’m not a never Trumper.”

If you have a mind to watch, Kay did an excellent job of setting BVP up for a sting. First she asked him, “What does it mean to be an evangelical Christian?”

Vander Platts:  “.. you have been born again… But our ministry specifically is we want to inspire the church, the Church of Jesus Christ, to engage this arena of government to advance God’s kingdom and to bless the institution of family.”

Henderson continues: “What is your definition of Christian nationalism? And is there a danger in this movement that it is moving in that direction?”

BVP:  “When David was in Jerusalem and he looked to the mountains and he said, where does my help come from?  …He said, my help comes from the Lord. So, we say look higher.  This is where Jesus tells Peter get your eyes off of this world and think bigger, think eternally… Our Savior came to give life and give life abundantly now. So, expect more at this time.”

Henderson:  “So, why do you have lobbyists at the legislature advocating for certain pieces of legislation?”

Indeed.

BVP: We have a church network that is at the Capitol every day ..the institution of government is God’s institution. God instituted the institution of government for the pursuit of righteousness and the pursuit of justice. And so that’s why they’re there for that. ”

Excuse me, did you all know that? That they have their church people at the Capitol every day? Just like a Koch Brothers lobbyist?

Good job, Kay.

Clay Masters continued the thread.  “There’s some major construction going on in the Des Moines area near Ankeny and Bondurant for a campus for The Family Leader. Why do you need such a big infrastructure?”

BVP went on for a bit about his big plans for the facility, then said, “…we didn’t want to be right at the Capitol to be a “lobbyist” but we wanted to be outside of that.”

Appearances still matter, apparently.

It wasn’t like the panel succeeded in embarrassing him even with really good questions. Republicans can’t be embarrassed  because they have no shame. But to those of you who have sworn off Iowa Press, this is one I would recommend watching.