Iowa conservative group hosting potential GOP candidates accepted $3 million in federal grants

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Iowa conservative group hosting potential GOP candidates accepted $3 million in federal grants
By Associated Press, Updated: Friday, May 13, 2:05 AM

IOWA CITY, Iowa — A conservative group that has brought a string of potential presidential candidates to Iowa to lecture about the need to reduce government spending owes some of its past success to generous federal grants.

The group, The Family Leader, has since rejected federal money amid charges of hypocrisy.

The group has organized forums for Reps. Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul, former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Sen. Rick Santorum. All have called for reining in federal spending.

The same group received more than half of its funding from federal grants over a five-year period when it operated under a different structure as The Iowa Family Policy Center.



Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/iowa_conservative_group_hosting_potential_gop_candidates_accepted_3_million_in_federal_grants/2011/05/13/AFeGYv1G_story.html?wprss=rss_national

[Downwinder]

1. They could do the right thing and pay it back.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

9. The money quote:

“We wanted to be consistent in calling for more efficient, smaller government and came to the conclusion that would best be served by not taking funding from the feds on this,” said group spokesman Chris Nitzschke."

No, consistency would best be served by
1) your not having taken the money in the first place, and
2) paying back the money, with interest.

I won't hold my breath.

The group in November changed its name to the Family Leader under a reorganization that put former Iowa Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats in charge. Its leaders played a key role in the successful campaign to oust three Iowa Supreme Court justices last year over a ruling that legalized gay marriage. The new group is now trying to flex its political muscle in the lead-up to the Iowa Caucuses in January.

And now I'm speechless.

[Cronus Protagonist]

17. They don't mention that they APPLIED FOR THE MONEY

The "feds" don't just show up with a check and ask you to take it.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

23. Which Agency or Department was it?

Health and Human Services, I'm guessing, as this was one of those "faith-based" things.

[progressoid]

26. +1

[valerief]

11. +1000

[City Lights]

13. My exact thought. nt

[SpiralHawk]

2. Soooo Republicon. Sooooo hypocritical.

You can always depend on Republicons to lack integrity.

[patrice]

18. You don't need integrity when you're superior. Remember, it's American EXCEPTIONALISM.

Integrity is what is required of the riff raff. The exceptional get to make exceptions by virtue of their divine ordination as The Exceptional.

[patrice]

25. This is NOT AN EXAGGERATION. That's exactly how it works.

It's also HOW things such as child abuse and pedophilia get protected by an ancient organization that is subsidized by our taxes.

[tomm2thumbs]

3. GOP's right hand is cutting the purse strings while the left is busy trying to get money out first

pathological liars - the definition of it lies in every Republican in office

[mwb970]

4. Typical republican crap.

Hypocrites, every one. I can't stand 'em.

[tanyev]

5. Die Familie Fuhrer?

Interesting choice.

[patrice]

19. 1+++++++++++

[patrice]

22. Recall Ayn Rand's Nietzeschesque bastardizations.

[Hubert Flottz]

6. "reining in federal spending" you mean like Bush did?

Hypocrisy is THE one thing the GOP has plenty of.

[plumbob]

7. "RAINING federal spending" for the "right" people.

GOP scum.

[Roy Rolling]

8. "no longer afford it"?

Isn't it always the case with ideologues like this they say government can "no longer afford" to spend on something after they have spent the money and there is no money left to spend?

[freshwest]

10. Taking the money and running is their MO

[City Lights]

12. Dear The Family Leader:

If you really want the charge of hypocrisy to stop, rejecting new federal money isn't going to cut it. You'll have to give the $3 million back. Time to walk the walk.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

14. Bachmann also took $250k+ in farm subsidies.

http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2009/12/farm_subsidy_wa.php

Common knowledge among Minnesotans.

[No Elephants]

15. Who in the federal government approved a federal grant so that this group could electioneer for

Republican politicians? How many laws does that violate?

And this group should be audited up the yin yang to make sure they spent every penny the way their grant request said they would.

Meanwhile, I'd like $550,000 a year for a five or sic years, too. Where do I apply?

[AC_Mem]

16. Hypocrite, Republican

No difference, whatsoever. If you are one, you are probably the other.

[patrice]

20. Tip of the ChurchCo iceberg. Here's the website:

http://www.thefamilyleader.com/

[rurallib]

21. fucking faith based initiatives.

for the life of me I cannot see how these can be constitutional.

[defendandprotect]

24. k

[Mnemosyne]

27. I read it - bought a string of potential presidential candidates, rather than

brought a string of potential presidential candidates.

Guess I'm right either way.

[russspeakeasy]

28. I would love to see a Paul/Bachman ticket...

I would give up a night of UFC to listen to one of their joint
stump speeches. One lives in 1964 and the other one lives in a
dense, deep, fog.