Congressman Steve King: Help fight Karl Rove’s crusade against me




Republican Congressman Steve King is going on the offensive, asking supporters for money to help him ward off GOP forces he thinks are trying to quash him – including Republican power player Karl Rove.

King, who has said he’s contemplating a bid for U.S. Senate to replace Democrat Tom Harkin, is seen by some Republicans as a proxy for far-right candidates who are popular in GOP primaries but unelectable in general election.

The showdown is an early flashpoint in the drive by establishment Republicans such as Rove to take a greater role in vetting candidates for higher office. Tensions have been simmering for a long time in Iowa between mainstream Republicans and grassroots activists such as the tea party. The battle is now surfacing nationally – with first-in-the-nation Iowa in the crosshairs.

“I have not made a decision (on running),” King said in a fiery email to backers Thursday, “but already Karl Rove and his army have launched a crusade against me.”

Even as Democrats began rallying on Thursday behind a top-shelf candidate for Senate, the Iowa GOP is no where close yet to knowing who their nominee will be. King is the favorite among faithful primary-goers, recent polling shows. Fellow GOP Congressman

Tom Latham, who has broader appeal among general election voters, feels no urgency to make up his mind about throwing a flag down in the race, aides told The Des Moines Register Thursday.

Rove’s new Conservative Victory Project has targeted King for a take-down, according to an article in The New York Times on Sunday.

The implicit message: the GOP shouldn’t run more candidates who easily win primaries but are too right-wing or have made too many controversial statements to win a general election. See: Richard Mourdock and Todd Akin, Rove said on Fox News Wednesday.

“We’re concerned about Steve King’s Todd Akin problem,” Steven Law, the leader of the Conservative Victory Project, told the Times. “This is an example of candidate discipline and how it would play in a general election. All of the things he’s said are going to be hung around his neck.”

In his mass email this morning, King said: “I’m no stranger to outlandish attacks like this. They said I couldn’t win in 2012 — the entire political machine was against me — but I soundly defeated my opponent by 8 percentage points. So let me be clear. Nobody can bully me out of running for the U.S. Senate, not even Karl Rove and his hefty war chest.”
Plenty of Iowa Republicans are sticking up for King, but not everyone is pleased that Iowa is caught up in the bickering.

MORE - http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/i...?nclick_check=1

They're uncomfortable that Iowa is pulled into this? Too bad! The rest of the nation has to deal with Iowa and it's political pull.

If Steve King doesn't think his own stupid comments about rape will not be used then he is another delusional fool. We do not need to rehash the war on women meme.

http://m.theatlanticwire.com/politics/20...e-incest/56014/

This is Kings issue to deal with, not the grass roots. Rove is garbage, but a guy who said that crap about rape thinking he is Senate material, running to replace one of the most Socialist people in that body, is a joke. Grassley is about as Right as that state will go and unless King goes all in for Ethanol subsidies, that state isn't going to give him the time of day.

Just do a search on Steve King rape and see the ads that will be used. It won't even cost his opponents anything.

Quote: steph wrote in post #3

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If Steve King doesn't think his own stupid comments about rape will not be used then he is another delusional fool. We do not need to rehash the war on women meme.

http://m.theatlanticwire.com/politics/20...e-incest/56014/

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Zitat

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REPORTER: You support the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act that would provide federal funding for abortions to a person that has been forcefully raped. But what if someone isn’t forcibly raped and for example, a 12-year-old who gets pregnant? Should she have to bring this baby to term?

KING: Well I just haven’t heard of that being a circumstance that’s been brought to me in any personal way and I’d be open to hearing discussion about that subject matter. Generally speaking it’s this: that there millions of abortions in this country every year.

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If I were guessing, I'd think he was saying don't pass laws based on "what-ifs", which is a common tactic of making false equivalencies.

I'm talking about how the comment will be used by the rat party. It doesn't matter what he meant to say. The sound bite is there. It is just something he needs to put his ego aside and do what is best in making sure Harry Reid is fired.

Quote: Sanguine wrote in post #7

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Steph, I was unaware that Steve King had gotten caught up in a "he said____ about rape" situation, but after reading the article, I'm not sure what he said:

Zitat

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REPORTER: You support the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act that would provide federal funding for abortions to a person that has been forcefully raped. But what if someone isn’t forcibly raped and for example, a 12-year-old who gets pregnant? Should she have to bring this baby to term?

KING: Well I just haven’t heard of that being a circumstance that’s been brought to me in any personal way and I’d be open to hearing discussion about that subject matter. Generally speaking it’s this: that there millions of abortions in this country every year.

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If I were guessing, I'd think he was saying don't pass laws based on "what-ifs", which is a common tactic of making false equivalencies.

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Oh he stepped in it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-5...-and-abortion-/

Updated at 2:55 p.m. ET

(CBS News) Republican Rep. Todd Akin has been strongly rebuked by members of his own party for his controversial remarks on rape and abortion, but that didn't stop Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa from defending Akin on Monday.

According to a report by Sioux City, Iowa CBS affiliate KMEG, King said he hasn't heard of instances in which young victims of statutory rape or incest become pregnant.

"Well I just haven't heard of that being a circumstance that's been brought to me in any personal way, and I'd be open to discussion about that subject matter," King said.

No doubt true.

Too bad - he's done some very good things.

Quote: Cedric wrote in post #10

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Quote: steph wrote in post #9

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According to a report by Sioux City, Iowa CBS affiliate KMEG, King said he hasn't heard of instances in which young victims of statutory rape or incest become pregnant.

"Well I just haven't heard of that being a circumstance that's been brought to me in any personal way, and I'd be open to discussion about that subject matter," King said.

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CBS mischaracterized the quote, then printed the exact quote in the very next sentence.

Typical.

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Quote: Sanguine wrote in post #11

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No doubt true.

Too bad - he's done some very good things.

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My point is why go there when you know damn sure this unnecessary issue will be used to bring him down and make this an issue in all other races?

Is his ego so big that he can't see just how much damage the rape comments were to all of the candidates? I knew that the Akin comment killed Romney's chance the minute I heard it. I was physically ill over it because I understood what it really cost us as a nation. I was right.

I'm with Jindal on this issue when he stated that we have to quit being the stupid party on these foot in mouth issues. We can't afford to start off on this issue. We don't have a fair media. It will be used against him if he does run.