Blouin, Culver jockey for position in primary - WCF Courier

[Debi]

If Mike Blouin and Chet Culver live up to early expectations and emerge as the leading candidates in the Democratic primary for governor, voters who care deeply about issues of life and death could face a tough choice.

Blouin, the state's former economic development director, is on the pro-life side of the abortion debate. Culver, Iowa's secretary of state, supports reinstatement of the death penalty in limited cases.

Each candidate runs the risk of alienating a sizable bloc of Democratic voters who stand for abortion rights and against capital punishment. With that reality in mind, both campaigns are quick to insist that the race for the party's nomination really should be about jobs, schools and health care.

But expecting die-hard Democratic activists to overlook issues such as abortion and the death penalty is like politely asking a pride of lions to disregard a limping zebra.

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http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2005/10/25/columnists/dorman/d4420bacbbf78280862570a4003de417.txt

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Culver supporter note: Blouin continues to state his strong Catholic faith as the reason he is against women being allowed to make their own reproductive health decisions. As a Deacon of the Catholic Church, does he also agree with the Church's stance on stem-cell research, divorce and sexual orientation? He has yet to respond to those questions.

[Bluzmann57]

1. Culver is on record as supporting the death penalty

in limited situations. He has stated that freaks like those guys(?) in Cedar Rapids who raped and killed Jetseta Gage should die and quite frankly, as I get older, I am more apt to agree with him. I do not support the death penalty normally and would rather see those pieces of crap spend life in total solitude with only a light bulb and no contact with the outside world whatsoever, but since that would be considered cruel and unusual punishment, the death penalty it is. Blouin is here in Davenport in about an hour, so I'm going to try and check him out. If I get the chance, I intend to ask him about economic development as well as the aforementioned issues.

[IA_Seth]

2. Please report back!

If you do get the chance to ask him about his Catholic reasoning on abortion and how it correlates to his stance on divorce and sexual orientation I would be VERY interested in his response!

[Bluzmann57]

4. Went to his event yesterday

He made a formal announcement of his candidacy and took a couple of questions. He is in favor of raising the minimum wage, seems to be education and worker friendly. But a guy asked him about "cultural values" and he danced around that. Then he thanked people for coming and decided it was time to go home. Not a bad candidate, except if pro-life is one's main issue. Will he win? Not sure, but he may not be a bad Governor if he does. Am I supporting him? Not at this time, but things do change.

[IA_Seth]

5. Yep

That pretty much sums up my feelings of him.

Policy-wise I am not all that far off from the way he thinks. I don't think he would be a BAD governor, just not one that necessarily represents my social values.

Lol, never thought I would be a values-voter!

[Debi]

6. He wants to raise the minimum wage, but waived PLA requirements

for Values Fund money. What is that?

And I'll keep beating the "I'm a good Catholic and that's why I'm against a woman's right to choose". Is he aligned with the Catholic Church on birth control? The Church says "NO", so does Blouin support pharmacists who refuse to fill women's prescriptions for the pill? Does he support the Church's position on Abstinence Only sex education?

The more I think about it the madder I get (as you all can tell). I feel like we're buying in to a bill of goods because Tom Vilsack is backing Blouin.

Culver has been placed under a microscope because of his "death penalty in limited circumstances" comments, he does not use his faith to support his position, only his own logic. Blouin seems to be getting a pass by using his strong Catholic faith to deny women th right to make their own intelligent health care decisions and it's being pooh-pooed because that subject won't come up in the Iowa Legislature.

Well, hello, Sex Education does come up, refusal to fill birth control prescriptions does come up, stem cell research does come up and God forbid, abortion may very well come up.

Blouin's beliefs must be challenged as much as Culver's have been and Blouin's actions must be challenged as much as Culver's have been. Unless we just want to ignore it all because Tom Vilsack say's he's a great guy.

End rant for now ;) :rant:

[Debi]

3. Culver has not shied away from his position

and, frankly, that seems to be the only thing we disagree with. I hope that the Death Penalty discussion never makes it to the Iowa Statehouse, whereas I do believe that women's reproductive health care will be front and center with out two new Supreme Court Justices ready to strike down Roe v. Wade.

Let us know what happens at Blouin's announce, I hear he has a new 'very well put together' speech. No more comma in between 30 year dynasty stuff!!