Americans may be focused on the economy at the moment, but conservative social issues will play a role in Saturday’s Iowa GOP straw poll and beyond, state and national supporters of those issues said Thursday.
This article first appeared online at Omaha.com on August 11, 2011.
Conservatives bring social agenda
By Tim Rohwer
WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE
COUNCIL BLUFFS — Americans may be focused on the economy at the moment, but conservative social issues will play a role in Saturday’s Iowa GOP straw poll and beyond, state and national supporters of those issues said Thursday.
“These issues haven’t gone away,” said Marilyn Musgrave, who represented Colorado in the U.S. House until she was defeated in 2008. “They will have an impact on the straw poll.”
“(Traditional) marriage is a winning issue,” said Christopher Plante, executive director of the National Organization for Marriage-Rhode Island.
Musgrave and Plante were part of a bus tour promoting these and other conservative concerns during a stop at Council Bluffs’ Bayliss Park on Thursday afternoon. The statewide bus tour will end Saturday at Iowa State University, the site of the Ames straw poll.
“Iowa has an opportunity to send a message to the nation,” Musgrave said.
Six GOP presidential hopefuls have signed a pledge to lead efforts against abortion rights if elected to the White House, rally attendees were told. Those six are Rep. Michele Bachmann, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Rep. Ron Paul of Texas.
Aside from Saturday’s straw poll, the conservatives told rally attendees there’s a state election next year in which they want one man in particular to be defeated.
“It’s important that (Council Bluffs) Sen. Mike Gronstal is removed,” said Jenifer Bowen, Iowa Right to Life executive director. She criticized the Iowa Senate majority leader, for not bringing to a vote a proposed ban on late-term abortions.
