IOWA: Ted Cruz Hires Anti-Gay Nutters Behind National Billboard Campaign

The Guardian reports:

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has chosen a couple who are aiming to put up 1,000 billboards attacking same-sex marriage to be part of his Iowa leadership team. Betty and Richard Odgaard, who lost a civil case in January after refusing to allow a gay couple to marry at their restaurant, have already erected one anti-gay marriage billboard in Oklahoma. They were added to Cruz’s Iowa team on Tuesday. Announcing their appointment, the Cruz campaign described the Odgaards as “courageous conservatives” who will form part of “a strong leadership team to win the Iowa caucuses”. Rick Tyler, a spokesman for Cruz, said the campaign was aware of the couple’s campaign. “The Odgaards signed on with Ted Cruz and they’re supporters of ours, and when the senator heard their story and visited their property he was moved by it,” Tyler said. “So we’re well aware of their situation and their plight.”

Only one of the promised 1000 billboards has been posted.

Martyr Touring With Ted Cruz

To promote his Iowa "Rally For Religious Liberty" Ted Cruz has interviewed the owners of Gortz Haus Gallery, who in 2013 sued the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, claiming that public accommodation laws violate their right to refuse to host same-sex weddings at their bistro. Their lawsuit came after a gay couple filed a complaint after having been turned away. In December 2014 the owners settled with complaint by paying the gay couple $5000. They then voluntarily decided to stop hosting all weddings rather than comply with Iowa law. Which makes them the perfect martyrs for Ted Cruz.

IOWA: Bobby Jindal Launches "Religious Liberty" Ad Campaign On Local TV

Via Breitbart:

American Future Project, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s issues advocacy group, is running ads starting today in Iowa touting the need for protection for religious liberty in America. “Our religious liberty must in no way ever be linked to the ever-changing opinions of the public,” Jindal is quoted as saying in a speech he gave to Liberty University to open the ad. “We must understand that our freedom of conscience protects all Americans of every persuasion.” The ad shows Jindal meeting with people across the country and in a church, and then quotes him from another speech. “These are rights endowed by our creator given to humanity by God,” Jindal said in that speech. “The United States of America did not create religious liberty. Religious liberty created the United States of America.” The Iowa ad will run on cable television and online for one week in the nation’s first presidential state.

Jindal will announce his presidential plans on June 11th.

IOWA: Man Charged With Sending Fake Anthrax Letter To Des Moines Gay Bar

Via the Des Moines Register:

Police charged a man Thursday with sending hate mail containing suspicious powder to the Blazing Saddle, a gay bar in Des Moines, in late March. Eric Reece Wiethorn, 49, of Ames was arrested for first-degree harassment and booked in the Polk County Jail, the Des Moines Police Department announced in a news release Thursday. The arrest stemmed from an incident reported at Blazing Saddle, 416 E. Fifth St., on March 27. Police and the Des Moines Fire Department's hazardous materials team responded to a report of a letter containing an unknown white powder and slurs directed at members of the LGBT community. Officials later determined the powder was harmless. They confiscated the letter and initiated a criminal investigation.

Police and a hazmat crew responded to the bar when the letter was first received. The man remains in jail on $2000 bond. (Via Towleroad)

UPDATE: Here's the full letter.

IOWA: GOP Family Values Pol Enjoys Sexytime Reading During Floor Debate

GOP Iowa state Rep. Ross Paustian is against same-sex marriage but he's totally for enjoying sexytime reading while Democratic lawmakers introduce amendments to a bill that would change collective bargaining rights for teachers.

IOWA: Senate Votes To Bans "Ex-Gay" Torture, But Bill Will Likely Fail In House

Via the Des Moines Register:

Iowa mental health professionals would be banned from trying to change the sexual orientation of gay patients younger than 18 under a bill approved on a straight party line vote Tuesday by the Iowa Senate. Senate File 334 was passed 26-24. All Democrats voted in favor. All Republicans voted no. The bill now heads to the Republican-controlled House, where it will likely be declared dead amid strong opposition from Christian conservatives. The bill’s opponents include the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition and the Iowa Catholic Conference.

Matt Baume: Marriage News Watch

IOWA: Republicans Introduce Bill For Referendum To Repeal Marriage

Via the Des Moines Register:

Nearly six years after the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously legalized same-sex marriage, 23 Republican lawmakers are still battling to overturn the ruling. Sen. Dennis Guth, R-Klemme, and Rep. Greg Heartsill, R-Columbia, have introduced resolutions in the Iowa Senate and House seeking a statewide referendum on a state constitutional amendment to limit marriage to one man and one woman. The resolutions are co-sponsored by 21 other GOP legislators. Guth acknowledged in remarks on the Iowa Senate floor last week that he faces a "seemingly impossible task" in trying to pass the resolution in the Democratic-controlled chamber. But he added, "This is what I believe," and he wants his children and grandchildren to embrace those same values.

The bill being backed by the local hate group Family Leader. In order to be placed on the ballot, it must be approved in two consecutive legislative sessions. That's extremely unlikely to happen, but grifters gotta grift.

Biden Gives Shout Out To "Butt Buddy"

Via the New York Post:

Joe Biden put his foot where the sun don’t shine at a speech in Iowa when he punctuated his remarks by giving a shout-out to his “butt buddy.” At one point during the talk in Des Moines, the Vice President declared: “Neal Smith, an old butt buddy. Are you here, Neal? Neal, I miss you, man. I miss you.” If the bizarre use of 80s teenage slang was a stutter or a slip up, the Vice President didn’t stop to correct himself. Neal Smith is a 94-year-old former Iowa congressman who was pals with the VP when Biden was a Senator.

Wingnuts are mocking up a storm.

IOWA: Hate Group Rallies In Yet Another Attempt To Overturn Same-Sex Marriage

Via the Iowa Republican:

Almost six years have passed since the Iowa Supreme Court opened the door for gay marriages in the state. As each year passes, public opinion grows more in favor of gay marriage. However, The Family Leader, one of Iowa’s preeminent Christian conservative organizations, is not relenting in its efforts to see that court decision overturned. The group, led by Bob Vander Plaats, held its annual Life, Marriage and Family Rally at Iowa Historical Building on Tuesday. 150 conservatives from around the state gathered to hear guest speaker Del Tackett’s message for on God’s design for man and woman. Following the rally, the group ascended the steps to the State Capitol, equipped with 163 Founders’ Bibles. Thanks to the efforts of churches around the state, The Family Leader was able to compile copies of the Founders’ Bible to give to every state legislator, executive branch official and Supreme Court justice in Iowa. “Just to show our support physically by being here, I think it’s a great encouragement as our legislature gathers over these next months to know that the church certainly is lifting them up and trusting that God will speak to them as they lead our country,” said Pastor Doug Rowland from Davenport.

The bible given to legislators was written by discredited "historian" David Barton. In the clip below, Family Leader head Bob Vander Platts hits the usual loony tunes talking points about people marrying their dogs, etc etc. You may recall that in 2011 Vander Platts was investigated for allegedly offering to sell his presidential endorsement to Rick Santorum.

Ben Carson: Gays Should Be Careful Or Someone Will Poison Their Wedding Cake

"What I have a problem with is when people try to force people to act against their beliefs because they say 'they're discriminating against me.' So they can go right down the street and buy a cake, but no, let's bring a suit against this person because I want them to make my cake even though they don't believe in it. Which is really not all that smart because they might put poison in that cake." - Tea Party darling Ben Carson, in a press conference yesterday that followed his speech at the 2016 GOP Clown Car Revue. The Hill notes that journalists reacted to the remark with "dead silence."

Wasserman-Schultz Calls 2016 GOP Clown Car Revue "Extremist Ring Kissing"

Trump Vows Border Fence If Elected

"We have to build a fence and it’s gotta be a beauty. Who can build better than Trump? I build. It’s what I do. I build. I build nice fences but I build great buildings. Fences are easy, believe me. I saw the other day on television, people are just walking across the border, they’re walking, the military is standing there, holding guns and people are just walking right in front, coming into our country. It is so terrible, it is so unfair, it is so incompetent and we don’t have the best coming in, we have people that are criminals, we have people that are crooks, you can certainly have terrorists, you can certainly have Islamic terrorists, you can have anything coming across the border. We don’t do anything about it. So I would say that if I run and if I win, I would certainly start by building a very, very powerful border." - Donald Trump, speaking today the 2016 GOP Clown Car Revue.

RELATED: In a separate interview with the Des Moines Register, Trump declared that he would have "easily" beaten President Obama in the 2012 race.

LIVE VIDEO: 2016 GOP Clown Car Revue

Rep. Steve King is holding his 2016 GOP Clown Car Revue in Iowa today and pretty much every right wing crackpot contender is there. The Des Moines Register is running a live stream and things are just now kicking off.

GOP Rep. Steve King: In 2000 Years No Gay Person Has Ever Gone To Heaven

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) is very sure that no gay person has gotten past heaven's velvet ropes since Doorman Jesus got the gig.

“I would say that what was a sin 2,000 years ago is a sin today, and we need to stick to that principle,” King said in an interview with The Jefferson Herald. The report from the bishops — which at the time of the interview King said he had “picked up little pieces in the news” about — is not a final guiding document, and is expected to generate animated debate in the church worldwide. “I owe it to Pope Francis to read it carefully and read it with precision before I pass judgment on it,” King said. “I would just say that in fact to pass judgment on his document seems a bit presumptuous as I hear myself say that.”

King declined to say whether he thought divorce or cohabitation are sins. “I think that I’ll not comment on that part,” King said. “I’ll just say that what was a sin 2,000 years ago is a sin today, and people that were condemned to hell 2,000 years ago, I don’t expect to meet them should I make it to heaven. So let’s stick with that principle.” When pressed on the people he believed are included in the “condemned” category, King said, “Let me say it isn’t to me to pass that judgment, and those who choose a lifestyle that I’ll say is not one that’s annointed and favored by my faith — or their faith, for that matter — that’s between them and God.”

King is a longtime favorite of anti-gay hate groups.

Editorial Of The Day

From the Des Moines Register editorial board:

At a press conference last week, Gov. Terry Branstad reiterated his long-held belief that Iowans should be allowed to vote on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages. "It has been blocked in the Senate by the Senate leader," the governor observed. "It's up to the people to decide who they want to send to the Legislature, and if they want (leaders) who are going to give the people of Iowa a chance to vote on this issue. ... I think the people of Iowa should have a chance to vote on this." At first blush, the governor's stance seems reasonable. After all, what's the harm in letting people decide an issue for themselves? But consider the implications of his suggestion. If Branstad were to have his way, a majority of Iowans could simply go the polls and, with the stroke of their pen, deny certain constitutional rights now afforded a specific class of citizens. That is a fundamentally un-American concept. If that flag on Branstad's lapel stands for anything, it stands for the freedom and rights that are guaranteed to all Americans — gays and lesbians included — and not just to the Americans we happen to like.

The editorial closes with photos of the lesbian couple who married in Iowa earlier this month after 72 years together.

72 Years In Love

The lesbian couple who married in Iowa last week after 72 years together have told their life story. It begins:

Vivian was a farm girl near Creston. Nonie a farm girl near Yale. Vivian was an indoor girl, spending hours "teaching my dolls," practice for her dream of becoming a teacher. Nonie was an outside girl, helping on the farm and playing basketball, such a rough-and-tumble guard that she once broke a rib during a game. Neither considered romance much back then. Vivian caught the interest of a boy once who became a friend but she cut that short by telling a schoolmate: "I wouldn't go with him to a dogfight." Then Nonie saw Vivian from afar one day, and it changed everything. Both were attending Iowa State Teachers College (now known as the University of Northern Iowa) in 1942.

"I could tell you exactly what she had on," Nonie said. "A gray dress with black velvet trim and big pearl buttons." That was it. They never spoke. But after Nonie dropped out of school and returned to Yale to work, she heard the school in town needed a new teacher. "I prayed that night that she would come to Yale," Nonie said. By chance, Vivian saw the job there and got it. She soon met Nonie, who asked her to a movie. Nonie had to work that night but told Vivian to go to the show, and she would join her later. "She was already bossing me around," teased Vivian, the soft-spoken one in the relationship. "But I had a new friend."

Hit the link for a video interview and the rest of their story.

GOP Mocks Clinton's Iowa Return

Hillary Clinton Stumps In Iowa: I'm Back!

CNN reports:

Hillary Clinton told reporters Sunday that the purpose of her return to Iowa for the first time in over six years was "to support candidates." But 2016's presidential politics were everywhere on a sun-soaked field in Indianola, Iowa. Clinton captured the sentiment best herself with a joke from the stage of the 37th and final Harkin Steak Fry: "Hello Iowa. I'm back!" Clinton left Iowa in 2008 after finishing a disappointing third place in the Iowa caucus. Six years have changed things, though, and Clinton has been followed by the possibility of running for president since she stepped down as secretary of state in 2013. Polls show her as the prohibitive favorite for the nomination, and her visit to Iowa this weekend has raised the specter even higher that she will likely run for president. From the stage on Sunday, Clinton admitted the 2016 question is on her mind. "It is true, I am thinking about it," Clinton said to a roaring applause. "But for today, that is not why I am here. I am here first and foremost for Tom [Harkin], for Ruth [his wife] and for the great candidates that you have a chance to elect." The crowd reacted with unhappy groans, some yelled "Just do it!"

Lesbian Couple Marries After 72 Years

After 72 years these ladies finally manage to marry each other, Wonderful!! #gay #Lesbian http://t.co/1PHX34Mj9K

— Mrs.W (@MrsWsOpinions) September 8, 2014

From Iowa's Quad City Times:

Vivian Boyack and Alice "Nonie" Dubes say it is never too late for people to write new chapters in their lives. Boyack, 91, and Dubes, 90, began a new chapter in their 72-year relationship Saturday when they exchanged wedding vows at First Christian Church, Davenport. Surrounded by family and a small group of close friends, the two held hands as the Rev. Linda Hunsaker told the couple that, “This is a celebration of something that should have happened a very long time ago.” The two met in Yale, Iowa, where they grew up, and moved to Davenport in 1947. Boyack was a longtime teacher in Davenport, directing the lives of children at Lincoln and Grant elementary schools. “I always wanted to be a teacher,” Boyack said Saturday after the ceremony. “My plan at an early age was to teach in the school where I was then going, and my teacher would move on to another school.”

(Tipped by JMG reader Jake)