by Rick Pearson
Campaigning for president isn't always about winning the hearts and minds of voters. You have to throw some barbecue sauce in -- according to Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback's campaign.
In a news release, Brownback's campaign put everyone on notice that they've selected "Famous Dave's" pit barbecue restaurant as their caterer for the Aug. 11 Iowa straw poll in Ames, hoping the lure of pulled pork sandwiches slathered with smoky sauce will entice some votes in an event that is key to Brownback's Iowa strategy.
"Sen. Brownback's supporters should come to Ames with an appetite for victory and BBQ," Brownback's Iowa communications director, John Rankin, said in a statement.
There is a little bit of history here. The same restaurant catered then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush's 1999 Iowa straw poll event.
Brownback has been mounting a heavily Iowa-based grass-roots campaign for conservative voters disaffected with the GOP's top-tier candidates.
At an event before local chambers of commerce representatives that drew a couple of dozen people to a Des Moines hotel luncheon last week, Brownback said he needed an acceptable showing in the straw poll, but declined to say where he had to finish to keep his candidacy viable to Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses in January.
While he talked tax policy and his proposal for an alternative flat income tax to the business groups, he's also been campaigning with Bobby Schindler, the brother of the late Terri Schiavo, about what the campaign calls Brownback's "pro-life, whole-life vision that values the child in Darfur and much as the child in the womb."
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Comments
Brownback is currently running neck and neck with another republic candidate named "someone else".
Might need more than BBQ:
http://www.pollingreport.com/wh08rep.htm
Posted by: Bubba | July 16, 2007 1:04 PM
Wow!
Terry Schiavo part deux!
I can't decide if this is a sign of desperation or a sign of full-blown whack job.
Posted by: Doug Zook | July 16, 2007 1:17 PM
I'm guessing that since he's finally been outed for being the deadbeat know-nothing that he really was before and on 9/11 by the NYC firefifighters, Rudy Gigoloiani will be serving the Iowa residents "Crow" for the Iowa straw poll.
Posted by: John E | July 16, 2007 1:22 PM
Bubba, Brownback is polling better than Chris Dudd, yet the Swamp seems fit to update us at least a couple of times a week on that Castro-loving traitor.
And, then there is more nonsense from Doug and, who else, John E.
Posted by: John D | July 16, 2007 2:09 PM
Does Rick Pearson know about Bruce? He needs to put in his story, is it Texas style BBQ? Tenn. style? New England? Does the BBQ have any ties to the democrats.
Posted by: bill r. | July 16, 2007 2:24 PM
John D.,
Nonsense?
I submit yer honor, that the United States Congress and an emergency trip back to D.C. by el presidente to intervene in a private family matter regarding a comatose woman's desire to die is the height of nonsense.
And nonsense is the mildest of terms I can think of to describe this abomination of privacy and self-determination.
Posted by: Doug Zook | July 16, 2007 2:26 PM
Doug, there were two sides to this story and no real indication from Teri Schaivo herself as to what her wishes were. Her family said one thing, the husband said another.
Anyway, if Teri's parents and siblings wanted to take care of her and they offered to take custody of Teri, then why not let them do that?
That is really where I came down on this situation. If her family wanted to take custody and care of her, then why not let them do that?
A friend of mine's dad has been in a coma for over two years now, even since he was beaten while taking a walk in the woods. There was a time in which they thought about pulling the life support from him but never have done so. To this point they are willing to take care of him while he is "living" in his comatose state. He may never come out of it and is a man in his early 70s.
So, why was everyone so willing to discount the wants and needs of her family?
Granted, I'm not sure it was something for Congress to get involved with, but again if her family wanted to take care of her, why not let them?
Posted by: John D | July 16, 2007 3:38 PM
John D,
Because her family didn't have the legal right to do so. Only her husband did. Congress or anyone else barging in and making him give up his legal rights would do actual damage to the institution of marriage.
Posted by: Cheryl | July 16, 2007 4:02 PM
John D......That is strickly a matter for the courts...not the fed. government. That is one more thing that shows very little true "conservative" ideals were pushed forward by Bush. This was strickly about religion and it was spearheaded by( see gods smile in my mug shot ) Delay.
Posted by: bill r. | July 16, 2007 4:28 PM
John D.,
Terri Schiavo's husband enforced HER WISH to not be kept on artificial life support.
Several levels of state and federal courts held these were HER WISHES.
Not his wishes, not her parents wishes, not her siblings wishes, not your wishes, not my wishes, not Bill Frist's 30 second diagnosis, not Tom DeLay's wishes, not Dubya's wishes, HER WISHES.
(Side note: My sister just called to tell me that my nephew is safe, sound, out of country and now done with his second tour in Iraq. Please accept my best wishes for your nephew as he begins his Marine Corps service.)
Posted by: Doug Zook | July 16, 2007 4:34 PM
That is a very lame argument, there, Cheryl. Her family asked for the legal right to take care of Teri. If they wanted to take care of her, then the husband, who probably put her there, should have just let them take care of her. What is so wrong with that? Ooops, I'm sorry, when it ocmes to matter of life and death, Loony Lefties will always be on the side of death, unless it's murderers, of course. Then you folks are on the side of keeping mass murderers alive! Babies, sick people? Kill them is the Left mantra! Which brings up another point? You folks are up in arms over 100,000 deaths in Iraq. But the millions you've killed through abortion is just a choice, huh, and a good one at that, huh?
Posted by: John D | July 16, 2007 4:47 PM
Well, Doug, I am glad your nephew is safe and appreciate the decent sentiments for my nephew who will beginning his life in the Marines in March.
There was controversy regarding whether Teri Schiavo's wishes is what her husband said they were. I will agree that it really wasn't an issue for Congress to get involved with, and right or wrong, the courts made their rulings. My issue is that her family and friends all felt strongly that she live and her family wanted to take care of her. I think he was spiteful toward them, and the fact that he deprived her family of attending her funeral services showed just how shallow and mean-spirited he is.
Posted by: John D | July 16, 2007 8:09 PM