BVP endorsed; Branstad gets no love from LUV

A “Let Us Love” or LUV rally was organized over the noon hour OUTSIDE.  Several hundred opponents of gay marriage gathered on the west steps of the statehouse. They want legislators to pass a resolution which would schedule a statewide vote on a constitutional amendment which would ban gay marriage in Iowa.

The Iowa Family Policy Center’s board chairman, Danny Carroll, announced that the group’s PAC is endorsing Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats.   Carroll’s remarks are remarkable on a number of fronts, beyond the endorsement.  You’ll see an open repudiation of Terry Branstad and, perhaps, hear Carroll’s publicly announcing his own divorce from the Iowa Republican Party.  That’s significant because at this time last year Carroll was meeting with Republican leaders, asking them to elect him chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa (he lost that race to current chairman Matt Strawn).

“Listen, I spent 25 years in the Republican machine,” said Carroll, a former state legislator.  “Some of the people who are running for the Republican nomination are personal friends of mine.  It is not necessarily easy to make decisions, to make choices when it comes to elections and you’re going to have to struggle with your choice, too, but I’m here to challenge you folks.

“You are not answering to a party.  You are not answering to a political machine.  You are not answering to people who sit in high buildings downtown and tell you what you ought to think and how you ought to vote.  You are answering to God almighty.

“If your vote is a sacred responsibility, then treat it that way.  Pay attention…Elect people who will uphold Biblical priniciples of individual responsibility.  People who recognize the family as the foundational unit in this social structure.  People who will boldly defend — boldly defend human life and marriage, not just give it lip service and issue an occasional press release or robocall…and most importantly, people who will be guided by the absolute moral truth that comes from a regular reading of the Holy Scripture. 

“There was a time in this country when we went out and we recruited people like that.  What don’t we do it any more?  Tell me, why do we not do it? What are you ashamed of?  Why do we have to apologize for our faith when it was that faith that built this country…No more apologies.  No more. 

“We believe that Bob Vander Plaats is the one candidate that best reveals these standards and we are particularly impressed with his willingness to stand up to a rogue Supreme Court who has somehow thought that they can make laws.

“…It’s time for someone to stand up.  Now is the time for people who care deeply about a Christian world view to be heard.  Now is the time to put principle, Biblical principle, before political parties.  I’ve been a part of that Republican machine for too many years and where has it gotten us?

“…I want you to understand how serious this is.  We have looked at the candidates and the Iowa Family PAC is endorsing Bob Vander Plaats and we are in this all in.  We are challenging people of faith, people who care about our freedoms and what we stand for across this state to join us and get behind this one individual who has put his name, his family and his honor on the line.

“There’s another candidate, somebody that I served with for a number of years.  I consider him a friend, but Terry Branstad has been found caught up short.  He has failed to boldly address the values that we embrace and even if he were to win the nomination, the Iowa Family PAC will not support him.”

“Amen,” a man in the crowd shouted.  Someone sort of hooted, but the crowd did not clap, saving its cheers for a few seconds later when Carroll introduced Vander Plaats as “the person” to support in the gubernatorial race.