Great moments in golf outings: The state Republicans
had a golf outing and fundraiser last week at
Willow Creek Golf Course. It was named for Bob
Ray — who was there greeting folks from a golf
cart — and a lot of big guys were there: Congressman
Tom Latham, legislators Pat Ward and Brad Zaun
and Jack Whitver and Pete Cownie and Chris Hagenow
and Kevin Koester, and a bunch of candidates
including Jake Highfill (presumably without
his shotgun).
And some Hooters girls. Not particularly shy
ones, either.
Hooters girls hired for a Republican fundraiser.
“It was embarrassing,” said a guy who was there.
Another guy, always trying to be helpful, sent
Skinny this email:
“For those keeping score, the state GOP platform
contains the following provision:
“6.17. We believe access to sexually explicit
material, especially on the internet, poses
a serious threat to our families and children.
Therefore we must strengthen and enforce our
laws to protect our families and children.
“It also declares its support for the public
display of the Ten Commandments — which includes
not coveting thy neighbor’s wife or maidservant.”
Can anyone say “Mingo?” ...
Great moments in employee relations:
Marc Mills is the former general counsel of
the University of Iowa who was fired in 2008
by President Sally Mason as an outgrowth of
the most recent athletic sex scandal at the
school. He has sued, and the suit is rising
on the docket of federal district court in Des
Moines. One of the exhibits, filed last month,
is Mills’ affidavit. Paragraph 25 says:
“On Friday, September 19, 2010 [it was actually
2008] Mason informed me that she was going to
remove me as Vice President for Legal Affairs
and General Counsel, and requested that I provide
her a letter of resignation early the following
week. She stated that I would have another job
within the University.”
And he adds:
“She also gave me a hug and told me that she
had never had to fire someone who had done nothing
wrong.”
In her deposition, also filed last month, Mason
doesn’t mention the hug but does say she doesn’t
“recall saying that.” But she does recall talking
about finding another job for him at the university.
“It was my hope that we could find a graceful
way to make a mea culpa, and resignation, and
then perhaps at some point he could have employment
here. Didn’t work out that way.” ...
Great moments in pissing matches between lawyers:
Email from Erik Fisk of the Whitfield law firm
to Joe Gamble at the Duncan law firm about the
case in which Suzanne Levitt is suing a South
African diamond operation (it’s too complicated
to go into again):
“Joe, Ms. Levitt: I will be responding to your
Motion to Reconsider today based on the misrepresentations
made to the Court about my compliance with Rule
7. As a preliminary matter, I take my obligations
to comply with the Rules before the Court quite
seriously, and I do not take kindly to the falsehoods
set forth in Ms. Levitt’s Motion....”
Joe Gamble’s reply: “Erik....I have to say since
you got involved in this case, your approach
is proving to be beyond what can be considered
‘aggressive.’ You’re e-mailing me accusing me
of being associated with falsehoods and ongoing
misrepresentations to the Court. This is a first
for me. I also did not appreciate your reference
to me in your filing on Friday. These are all
things to which I do not take too kindly. I
expect this from out of state lawyers, but not
from across the street. I have gotten along
well with you and your partners in the past.
I hope we can get back on track.” ...
Great moment in character building:
Character Counts is a fine organization that
works with young and old to promote what it
calls the six pillars of character: trustworthiness,
respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and
citizenship. Each year, it recognizes those
who personify those pillars. Last year’s Iowa
Character Award went to...
...Russell R. Wasendorf Sr.
Next year: A seventh pillar, fraud. ...
Great moments in Senate debate:
Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the chairman
of the Senate Judiciary Committee, going off
point a bit during an exchange with Sen. Charles
Grassley, the ranking minority member, about
delays in confirming judges nominated by recent
presidents:
“We read the horror stories of secret money
going into campaigns. If we can’t restrict the
amount of money, at least let’s know where it
comes from. It is bad enough the Supreme Court
has said corporations are people, as though
having elected General Eisenhower as President,
we could now elect General Electric as President,
or electing yahoos such as Millard Fillmore
as Vice President means we could elect Yahoo
as Vice President.”
Great moments in journalism:
The Des Moines Register last Wednesday had
a piece that began: “Ramsey Auto center in Urbandale
is giving up its Buick-GMC business to focus
on its other brands, Subaru and Mazda, said
the company’s president, Tom Carey.”
Unsaid: It is “giving up” the business because
General Motors sued the dealership in federal
district court to force the issue, saying sales
had fallen below an agreed-upon target. Also
unsaid: “As reported, and more thoroughly, in
Cityview three weeks ago.” ...
Great (loopy) moments in politics:
Randi Shannon, the Republican candidate running
against state Democratic senate incumbent Liz
Mathis of Linn County, quit the race last week
after determining that the United States is
an unlawful republic full of laws passed “without
the consent of We the People.” Instead, she
says in a lengthy statement on her website,
“I have accepted the position of U.S. Senator
in The Republic of The United States of America,
where I may better serve You and All of The
People of Iowa.” The Republic of the United
States, she says, “is the Republic founded in
1787 and then abandoned during the Civil War,”
when it was replaced by the current unlawful
nation.
Shannon was a Ron Paul supporter during the
primary campaign. ...
The Iowa Supreme Court has issued 121 nondisciplinary
decisions since the three new justices joined
in April, and 102 of them were unanimous, the
law blog of the Nyemaster law firm noted the
other day. On the split decisions, there are
two clear blocks: Holdover justices Wiggins,
Appel and Hecht, and Chief Justice Cady along
with new justices Waterman and Mansfield. That
leaves Bruce Zager as the swing judge, and he
has been in the majority on every single case,
siding with the Cady group in six 4-3 decisions
and with the Appel group in four. ...
From the Polk County Republican website: “Our
next big fundraiser will be the Annual Summer
Picnic at the Polk County Fairgrounds.” No mention
of Playboy Bunnies.
When was the last time anyone used the word
“maidservant?” …
“I have wasted many years of my life trying
to prepare for a future that never came to be.”
— Nancy Sebring. CV |