Posts with the tag Jim Leach

Jim Leach and the Iowa Economy

Zachary Scott Edwards — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 11:23:49 EDT

Women for Obama Tractor from the Madison County Covered Bridge Parade

Today in Iowa, Former U.S. Rep. Jim Leach continues his travels across the state talking with Iowans about Barack Obama and early voting here in Iowa. As one of the Iowa leaders of Republicans for Obama, Rep. Leach makes a clear argument for why we should be discussing the important issues that affect Iowa, and why Barack is the best candidate to represent the heartland economy. Check out some comments he made yesterday evening in the article below.

If you are ready to vote for the change we need, there are extended hours across the state today, and it’s the last day to vote early without an ID! Visit www.voteforchange.com to find where you can vote early TODAY!

Leach touts Obama to Republicans, independents
Saturday, October 25, 2008
By Russ Mitchell
Former U.S. Rep. Jim Leach wants his fellow republicans to do what he did earlier this summer. The eastern Iowan took a pass on his party's presidential nominee and went to Denver for a convention speech supporting Barack Obama.
The tenor of the election has played a factor in the longtime congressman's decision.
"To me, Senator Obama, is very much in the category of someone trying to bring the country together," Leach said. "And then, if you look at some of the words out there, my party's candidates have been using the 's' word, and by that I mean socialism. It's not socialist to offer a much bigger middle-class tax cut than Senator McCain. It's not socialist to support ethanol and wind energy, which are so critical to northwest Iowa."
…
I think for those who really think we need a new approach to world affairs, I think Senator Obama is really presenting an alternative approach that is very much rooted in American history and American values and will symbolize great change at a time when we need great change. We have never gone through a period in which the American brand has been more challenged than it is today."
…
Leach also said he is "exceptionally impressed" with the quality of the advisors Obama has assembled in the areas of economics and foreign policy.
"If you look at the Iowa economy and if you look at the northwest Iowa economy in particular, Obama in his brief career has been a strong advocate of wind energy," he said. "Senator McCain has voted against it at every turn. Obama has been a strong advocate of ethanol. Senator McCain has maintained stark opposition to ethanol. That is a profound contrast for Iowa economics."
The former congressman also has confidence in Obama's tax policy.
"Obama has carved out a very unique position," Leach said. "It's the first time I've ever known this contrast. He has a far bigger middle-class tax cut than Senator McCain does. Now, he also has a higher income tax increase, so what he's trying to suggest is: We've got to create a new fairness back in the tax code so one can expect higher income tax brackets to go up to the range where they were in the Clinton years."
Prior to his Spencer stop, Leach made an appearance in Sioux City. He has stops planned in Mason City and Waterloo on Saturday.

Email from Rep. Jim Leach: Why Obama?

Zachary Scott Edwards — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 10:51:18 EDT

Yesterday, former Iowa Republican Congressman Jim Leach sent out this email to Republicans for Obama members across the country. In it, he explains his support for Barack Obama and the many ways that everyone can get involved to make a difference. For more information on Iowa Republicans for Obama, click here.

Dear Zachary,

I am proud to have served thirty years as a Republican in Congress. But this past Spring, I came to the conclusion that the party I loved, respected, and supported had lost its moorings.

The tradition, pragmatism, and inspiration of leaders like Lincoln, Eisenhower, and Reagan have given way to partisan divisiveness.

Today, our country faces unprecedented problems -- an economic downturn as profound as any in living memory, growing instability in global security, and important questions about our energy future.

More of the same simply doesn't fit the times, and Republicans as well as Democrats understand that change is needed.

After decades in Washington -- witnessing the processes of government firsthand -- I have every confidence that Barack Obama is ready to bring that change.

Please join me in sharing that message by forwarding this email to your friends and asking them to visit www.BarackObama.com.

Or better yet, reach out to your entire community by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper.

We'll provide a list of local papers and some important background on the issues to help you get started. We'll even send the letters to the papers for you.

As Barack often says, this is a defining moment. Good citizens may disagree on issues and approaches to problem solving, but rarely have we had a greater need to pull together and seek unity in the face of division.

Barack has a broad, inclusive vision for the future of America. He is forward-looking in his proposals on alternative energy and education, and grounded in an approach to decision making that transcends party.

He has chosen foreign policy and economic advisers of the highest caliber. People like Retired General Anthony Zinni, former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, and President Clinton's Secretary of the Treasury Bob Rubin are all first-class professionals.

And he has shown his ability to withstand challenge. I often tell my students at Princeton to choose a candidate who most reflects what Lincoln termed "the better angels of our nature." Senator Obama has more reason than any Presidential candidate I have observed to lash out with anger. Yet he responds to irresponsible Swift Boat-style attacks with calm and steady leadership.

Barack Obama has inspired millions who want a new approach to politics and civic life -- Democrats and Republicans alike.

Please join me in welcoming everyone to this movement for change. Forward this message to your friends, or use the link below to write a letter to the editor in your local paper:

http://my.barackobama.com/gopforobamaletter

Thank you for making your voice heard.

Sincerely,

Jim

Former Representative Jim Leach
Iowa's 2nd District, 1977 - 2007

P.S. -- I gave a speech laying out some of the reasons so many traditional Republicans and independents support Senator Obama at the Democratic National Convention. You can watch it here:

http://my.barackobama.com/JLSpeech

Congressman Jim Leach to Hold “Republicans for Obama” Events in Iowa

Zachary Scott Edwards — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:19:16 EDT

Tomorrow, former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach will hold “Republicans for Obama” events in Ames, and West Des Moines. Congressman Leach will join other Republicans for Obama, as well as Democrats and undecided voters, to discuss the economic issues facing our country and why he believes Barack Obama is the leader we need to unite our country and bring about change.

Join us for one of the events tomorrow:

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 2nd, 2008

11:30 AM
Ames, Iowa
“Republicans for Obama” Discussion with Congressman Jim Leach
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO RSVP

5:00 PM
“Republicans for Obama” House Party with Congressman Jim Leach
West Des Moines
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO RSVP

These events are going to be a great opportunity to hear from one of the leaders of Iowa Republicans for Obama. If you didn’t get a chance to hear his initial endorsement, check out this video:

Congressman Leach will also be talking about the importance of voting early for change. In order to make the process even easier than it already is, we’ve set up a voter information hotline, 877 – IA-08VOTE, where you can find where to early. You can also www.voteforchange.com to look up your early voting location.

Editorial from Jim Leach

Zachary Scott Edwards — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:51:31 EDT

Check out the editorial that was written by Jim Leach and published in this morning's Omaha World Herald. To join other Iowa Republicans for Obama, click here.

Obama is best to aid Midlands interests
BY JAMES LEACH
Omaha World-Herald Editorial Friday, September, 12, 2008
The writer represented an Iowa district in the U.S. House of Representatives for 30 years and formerly chaired the House Banking an d Financial Services Committee. He is a visiting professor at the Woodrow Wilson School of Princeton (N.J.) University
The conventions are over. Both political parties have nominated individuals with compelling life stories. Both understand that something is out of kilter in Washington and that America’s standing in the world has diminished politically and economically over the last decade. Each is competing for the mantle of change.
As one who served 30 years as a Republican in Congress and, prior to that, 5 years in the Executive branch, principally as a Foreign Service Officer, I have for the first time decided to endorse a Democratic candidate for President.
I have the deepest respect for the principles and heritage of the Republican Party. But the question for many traditional Republicans is whether today’s party resembles that of our parents, of the views of leaders like Robert Taft or Dwight Eisenhower, of Barry Goldwater or Nelson Rockefeller, let alone of the progressive tradition of our great-great grandparents, the abolitionists and suffragettes.
The party that once emphasized individual rights has gravitated in recent years toward regulating values. The party of military responsibility has taken us to war with a country that did not attack us. The party historically anchored in fiscal restraint has nearly doubled the national debt, squandering our precious resources in an undisciplined and unprecedented effort to finance a war with tax cuts.
In 25 years in Congress, John McCain has demonstrated what he validly describes as a maverick personality, but on the key issues of the day – the war in Iraq, tax accommodation for the big and powerful, social policy – both his policies and personal approach to decision-making represent unflinching continuity with the current Administration.
...Click here to read more...

First day of the Democratic Convention

Kaye — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 04:07:43 EDT

Today I watched the first day Democratic Convention in Denver. While CNN and MSNBC spent much of the day and evening blustering with analysis, C-SPAN televised all speeches, without word-by-word, meaningless analysis or commercials. Hail C-SPAN!

I was particularly taken by long time Republican Jim Leach's as well as by Michelle Obama’s speech.

Jim Leach is a retired 20-year Republican veteran of the House and still a Republican. But he spoke at the Democratic Convention to give his support to Barack Obama because, in his own words, this country is not only going in the wrong direction under the current Republican administration, but that the Republican party itself has gone in the wrong direction. His party, he said, has lost its way, and Obama was the best presidential hope for this country at this juncture in our history. Obama, he said, would bring this country back to his party's original values which it has lost over the course of the last eight years or more. He spoke the indictment that many true Republicans fear to speak but think nonetheless.

What is especially significant about Leach’s speech to an all-Democratic convention is that he confirmed for the viewing audience that even long time Republicans see that this country is derailed...and that McCain will not get it back on track.

The major networks failed to cover his speech, so busy were they in talking and analyzing amongst themselves, that they failed to recognize the significance of who he is and what he said. When a major career Republican endorses a Democratic Presidential candidate because he believes that opposition party candidate embodies the best views, beliefs, character, ability, knowledge, and intellectual substance, you have to know that something is significantly wrong with the Republican candidate and the Republican Party as a whole as well as its policies.

Michelle Obama’s speech too affected me. I’m not one who tears easily, but I found myself emotionally affected by her speech. She spoke to my heart as well as my mind. She spoke to my own travails and triumphs as well as those of my brothers and parents. She spoke to me of the all I thought and believed as an American who grew up in the ‘50s and ‘60s. I recognized myself and my family in her middle class, blue-collar story, even though I came from a white, middle class, military family. Regardless of the exterior, even racial, differences, I saw myself and my family in her stories. I saw my own parents hopes that my brothers and I would achieve college educations and make more of our lives than they had. I also saw my hopes and my fears and my desires for a better world...for a better America. An America where not only the ultra rich succeed, but an America in which everyone, even the most modest or poor, can make his or her dreams come true. An America where any boy or girl can dream of becoming President and succeed. That is the America in which I became an adult. That is the America I again long for and dream about.

As I watched the audience respond to her, I saw more than one person sniff back or wipe tears from their cheeks. I wasn’t alone in that emotional lump in my chest. However, it wasn’t just what she said, it was how she said it: her belief in what she said. I don’t think anyone could have watched her give her opening day, keynote speech without being affected…and believing that Barack Obama is the best candidate for the office of President. If they did watch unaffected, they must have stones in place of hearts.

I can hardly wait for tomorrow...and what comes next!

Why the "Republican Party has broken with its conservative heritage."

Cindy in Salt Lake — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:27:57 EDT

Former U.S. Representative Jim Leach (R-IA) gave a great speech on the first night of the DNC Convention. He laid out the reasons why the "Republican Party has broken with its conservative heritage." You can read the full transcript here.

The party that once emphasized individual rights has gravitated in recent years toward regulating values. The party of military responsibility has taken us to war with a country that did not attack us. The party that formerly led the world in arms control has moved to undercut treaties crucial to the defense of the earth. The party that prides itself on conservation has abdicated its responsibilities in the face of global warming. And the party historically anchored in fiscal restraint has nearly doubled the national debt, squandering our precious resources in an undisciplined and unprecedented effort to finance a war with tax cuts.

Republican Former Congressman Jim Leach: "Country comes before party"

Zachary Scott Edwards — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:52:38 EDT

Former Iowa Representative, Jim Leach, just shared with the country why he supports Barack Obama...

As a Republican, I stand before you with deep respect for the history and traditions of my political party. But it is clear to all Americans that something is out of kilter in our great republic. In less than a decade America's political and economic standing in the world has been diminished. Our nation's extraordinary leadership in so many areas is simply not reflected in the partisan bickering and ideological politics of Washington. Seldom has the case for an inspiring new political ethic been more compelling. And seldom has an emerging leader so matched the needs of the moment.

... I stand before you proud of my party's contributions to American history but, as a citizen, proud as well of the good judgment of good people in this good party, in nominating a transcending candidate, an individual whom I am convinced will recapture the American dream and be a truly great president: the senator from Abraham Lincoln's state -- Barack Obama.

After serving 30 years as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 2007, Jim Leach knows that we are stronger united than we are divided.

Here are some photos from the convention floor during Jim Leach's speech:

Like Jim Leach, you can join other Republicans for Obama.

Obamacans

Mike P — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 21:09:02 EDT

Source: http://www.outsiderviews.com, retrieved August 13, 2008

I reported and commented on Jim Leach's endorsement of Barack Obama for President. I noted the big deal that it was. I continue to believe it. I ran across this new term, "Obamacans", that signifies the Republicans who have declared their support for Barack Obama. According to a story by Edward Luce in yesterday's Financial Times, there is talk of maybe even Colin Powell coming out for Barack Obama. Among some of the names mentioned that will withhold endorsement for John McCain, there is talk of James Baker being one of them. I am not sure if a Bush Family loyalist like Jim Baker is going to go that far. But, the fact that the old realists within Republican circles understand how much United States has suffered during the Bush years gives me hope that change will be in the air. Senator McCain has also acknowledged and noted his differences with George W. Bush. We will see change. The question is whether it is incremental or wholesale. For the sake of the world, I hope it is wholesale.

Yesterday in the News: Jim Leach Endorses Barack Obama

Zachary Scott Edwards — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:58:30 EDT

Jim Leach endorses Obama

"It's been a very difficult thing for me because I've never endorsed a Democrat before...but sometimes in life you come to a juncture where it's very clear the national interest trumps party discipline," former Iowa Congressman Jim Leach said in a noontime interview with Radio Iowa.

…

"Like many, I'm astounded at Barack Obama's meteoric rise as a candidate, but I have no doubt that his is the leadership we need and that the world is crying out for," Leach said during a telephone conference call with reporters, arranged by the Obama campaign.

"I also have no doubt that a lot of Republicans and independents are going to be attracted to his call for a new era of nonideological, bipartisan decision-making."

Leach is now part of a group of Republicans who are actively encouraging other Republicans to back Obama. "Barack Obama's platform is a call for change, but the change that he is so gracefully articulating is more renewal than departure," Leach said. "...It is rooted in very old American values that are as much a part of the Republican as the Democratic tradition. There's an emphasis on individual rights, fairness and balance at home and progressive internationalism."

Republican stalwart endorses Obama

Former Republican Congressman Jim Leach endorsed Barack Obama’s presidential bid Tuesday, surprising some people in a state where the Davenport native has been associated with GOP politics for 30 years.

Leach said Obama offered inspiring new leadership and a more internationalist approach to foreign policy.

“Above anything else, I’m convinced the national interest requires a new approach to our interactions with the world,” he said.

Leach, a moderate leader in Congress, represented eastern Iowa for 30 years, all but five years from a base in Scott County.