U.S. Rep. Steve King

Reid is facing calls from Republicans to step down for his comments regarding then-candidate Barack Obama revealed in a book chronicling the 2008 campaign. According to the book, Reid said the country “was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama — a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.’”

Many Republicans point to Reid’s criticism of then Republican Senate Leader Trent Lott in 2002 as reason for Reid to resign. Lott got himself in hot water by telling a crowd that a Strom Thurmond presidency would have prevented “all these problems over all these years.” Thurmond had based his presidential campaign largely on an explicit racial segregation platform.

King said in an interview with The Talk Radio News Service that he has no problem with what Reid said, since it was the truth.

“Did anybody ask the question ‘Did he tell the truth?’ Was what he said objective truth or was it an opinion?” King said. “He essentially said that President Obama is light skinned and doesn’t have an accent unless he wants one. That seems to be true to me, although I’ve never heard him with an accent of any kind.”

His problem is that Reid called on Lott to resign, so that standard should be applied to Reid.

“He should be held accountable for hypocrisy,” King said. “But not for what he said.”

King seemed to take the most offense to statements made in Reid’s defense by the Rev. Al Sharpton, saying the Civil Rights leader was able to defend Reid and not Lott because “Harry Reid has a long record of promoting Civil Rights.”

“So therefore you couldn’t call Harry Reid a racist for making a statement that was a little out of taste,” King said. “But they would argue that Trent Lott has not jumped on all the Affirmative Action agendas apparently that Harry Reid has, so therefore you can label him a racist with a clear conscience. That’s an abhorrent philosophy to me. That you can declare someone to be a racist because somehow Al Sharpton or anyone else can divine within the words spoken or the tone or the inflection or what’s not spoken that someone is a racist.”

But as The Washington Independent’s Dave Weigel pointed out, the difference between Reid and Lott’s comments goes much deeper than King suggests.

When Lott made his remarks – unlike Reid, he did it in front of video cameras – he added that a Thurmond presidency would have prevented “all these problems over all these years.” Lott’s office was unable to explain what “all these problems” were. In the following days, two more instances of Lott waxing nostalgiac about Thurmond’s segregationist 1948 presidential bid surfaced. By comparison, Republicans like [RNC Chairman Michael] Steele have not produced more evidence of Reid racial slip-ups, focusing instead on his hypocrisy for criticizing Lott in 2002.

Here is King’s interview with The Talk Radio News Service:

Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, is facing criticism for comments he made about then-candidate Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign. According to a book chronicling the campaign, Reid said he country “was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama — a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.’”

Aides to Harkin told The Des Moines Register that “President Obama’s comments over the weekend put this issue to rest and that it is time to get back to addressing the issues facing our country’s economy and health system.”

At an appearance in Cedar Rapids, Grassley said that he is glad Reid apologized for his statements and that he “wouldn’t go any further than that at this point.”

Earlier Monday, U.S. Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron, said he believes everything Reid said about Obama was true. King also compared Reid’s statements to those that ended the reign of Trent Lott as Senate Republican leader back in 2002.

“If Harry Reid had defended Lott, he should not resign for his remarks about Obama,” King said. “Every word was true. A pass for truth?”

Rep. Steve King, R-Kiron

Reid is facing calls from Republicans to step down for his comments regarding then-candidate Barack Obama revealed in a book chronicling the 2008 campaign. According to the book, Reid said the country “was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama — a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.’”

Back in 2002, then-leader of Senate Republicans Trent Lott was forced to resign his position after telling a crowd that a Strom Thurmond presidency would have prevented “all these problems over all these years.” Thurmond had based his presidential campaign largely on an explicit racial segregation platform.

The Washington Independent’s Dave Weigel points out that comparison between Reid and Lott, and the call for Reid’s ouster, have been echoed by numerous Republicans throughout the weekend. But King appears to be the only Republican publicly saying that Reid’s comments are true.

Former Gov. Terry Branstad continues to catch flack from Iowa conservatives for his previous support of U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.

Rep. Dave Loebsack is so worried his constituents will miss the Iowa Hawkeye’s Orange Bowl appearance he’s asked the FCC to stop Sinclair from removing its channels from Mediacom cable systems.

Thomson prison plan sparks emotional debate at public hearing.

More than 13,000 eastern Iowans lose power as ice storm rolls in.

Same-sex marriage opponents plan to rally at the state capitol during Gov. Chet Culver’s Condition of the State address.

Same-sex marriage supporters will rally in downtown Des Moines two days earlier.

The bill in question is House File 530, which would change the workers compensation system to permit employees injured on the job to choose the doctors who treat them. A public hearing on the measure is scheduled for Tuesday night and both supporters and opponents expect a contentious debate.

On the House Democratic Caucus’ Twitter page a comment was posted to combat one Republican criticism of the measure, that it would promote “doctor shopping,” where a worker looks for a physician who will give them a diagnosis they are looking for.  The Democrats brought up Limbaugh’s 2006 admission that he illegally received prescriptions to OxyContin and other painkillers from 1998 to 2002 from several doctors.  From the Tweet:

Doctor shopping…is this what ABI means? http://tinyurl.com/boc5dh

The ABI mentioned is the Association of Business and Industry, which has launched a series of radio ads in Iowa opposing the choice of doctor legislation.

Democrats nationally, including President Barack Obama Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, have been calling the controversial radio star the de facto leader of the Republican Party ever since his speech at the annual Conservative Political Action Convention where he reiterated his hope that the new president fails. The Democratic National Campaign Committee even launched a Web site parodying recent apologies to Limbaugh from prominent Republicans who had criticized him publicly.

It appears the strategy, which has had some success nationally, is working its way to the state level.

A public hearing on the choice of doctor bill will be held Tuesday from 7 to 9 p.m. the chamber of the Iowa House. Currently, 35 states have some form of employee choice of doctor, including all of Iowa’s surrounding states except Missouri.

Gov. Chet Culver said Friday he will veto any attempt to increase the state's fuel tax.

Culver, who has been an outspoken critic of the idea, previously stopped short of saying he would veto it. That changed today.

“I have been clear and consistent in my opposition to an increase in the gas tax, but let me leave no doubt: I will veto any increase in the gas tax,” Culver said. “We have many important issues to address this year, including creating new jobs, but raising taxes on hard-working Iowans is not one of them.”

The governor said he wanted to make his position clear so lawmakers would not spend any more time this session with the issue. Both the House and Senate Transportation committees were set to discuss an increase next week.

Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Tom Rielly, D-Oskaloosa, sponsored the bill to increase the gas tax.  He told The Des Moines Register that without the governor’s support, the bill is dead.

A broad coalition of supporters had lined up behind the gas tax, including Democratic leaders in the Legislature, Republican state Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey, the Iowa Farm Bureau and local chambers of commerce. Culver, along with Republican leadership in the state Senate, stood opposed to the measure, saying raising any tax during an economic recession is poor public policy.

Supporters of the fuel-tax increase contend that Iowa needs more money to maintain the road system and make improvements to support economic development. A 10-cent increase in fuel taxes would raise an additional $210 million annually for city, county and state road projects. Iowa’s fuel tax currently ranks 32nd nationally and hasn’t been raised since 1989.

Culver has insisted that the recently passed federal stimulus package, in conjunction with his plan to borrow nearly $750 million, is a better way to pay for road and bridge repair than raising the fuel tax.

“President Obama’s federal recovery plan provides Iowa with over $350 million for transportation,” Culver said. “And my own jobs and infrastructure proposal will include another $250 million for transportation, especially for road safety and deficient bridges. These two better options mean more than $600 million to create jobs and improve our infrastructure, without raising taxes on Iowans.”

However, some economists fear that combination of funds is a short-term fix and will leave the state looking for infrastructure funding again when it runs out.

“If you want to fix the roads, the most efficient way to fix the roads is charge a user fee and in the current environment, the most efficient user fee is some type of fuel tax,” Arne Hallam, an economist at Iowa State University, recently told a joint session of House and Senate Transportation committees.

Rielly implied to The Register that while a gas-tax increase is dead this session there is little doubt it will need to be raised in the years to come, an idea Culver said he is open to.

The bill would raise Iowa’s 21-cent fuel tax by 4 cents now and another 4 cents in 2010. It would eventually raise nearly $170 million annually for road and bridge construction projects. A similar bill has also been introduced in the Iowa House.

The state hasn’t raised its gas tax since 1989. Iowa’s gas tax ranks 32nd nationally.

Democratic legislative leaders have been joined by a broad coalition of interest groups, including the Iowa Farm Bureau and local chambers of commerce, in advocating for a gas tax increase. Democratic Gov. Chet Culver and Republican legislative leaders have said they don’t want to raise any taxes during a recession, with Culver favoring his $700 million bonding plan to fix Iowa’s crumbling infrastructure.

Culver has not yet gone so far as to say he would veto the measure if it is passed.

State Auditor David Vaudt

“The gas tax is historically where we’ve gotten the funds for our roads and bridges,” said Vaudt, a possible 2010 GOP gubernatorial candidate. “It can provide a more long-term revenue stream than other options.”

Both chambers of the Legislature are currently weighing bills that would raise the fuel tax 8 cents over two years. In addition to legislative Democrats, conservative groups like the Iowa Farm Bureau and local chambers of commerce have voiced support for the increase, along with Republican state Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey. Iowa hasn’t increased its fuel tax since 1989.

The millions of dollars the state will receive from the recently passed federal stimulus bill will help in the short run, Vaudt said, but once that money is gone, Iowa will still be left with the question of how to maintain its roads.

“One thing we haven’t seen enough details on yet is how much the federal stimulus is going to bring to Iowa that might be used for infrastructure related projects and how that is going to impact the needs analysis,” Vaudt said. “But that is just going to be a short-term fix. That money will be gone in a few years, and we will still need a revenue stream to maintain our infrastructure.”

Warren Jenkins, Vaudt’s chief deputy auditor, said consumers are also going to be more receptive to a fuel tax increase if it helps them avoid other costs.

“I think people are looking at whether it’s going to help avoid a repair bill for their cars because (of) the poor condition of the roads and bridges,” he said. “Whether it’s a blown tire or alignments or general wear and tear because the roads are so bad, there is a trade-off there that I think people get.”

Vaudt said another factor that could soothe taxpayers’ fears is that the funds raised by increasing the gas tax are constitutionally protected from being shifted to another project.

“The money will be spent on what it was collected for, as opposed to being shifted over to pay for other things,” he said. “I think that’s part of what is generating more support for gasoline tax than what we’ve seen in other areas.”

Opposing a gas tax increase are Gov. Chet Culver, a Democrat, and Republican legislative leaders. Culver has said he prefers his $700 million bonding plan. Vaudt said bonding would have the same short-term effect as the federal stimulus, except it will need to be paid off over 20 years.

“I think if you take a look at it, if you use bonds, it’s going to be a fix over a short-term period of time versus a gas tax that will provide a steady revenue stream,” Vaudt said. “The other part with bonding is you’re going to pay interest costs, too.”

Another factor to consider, Vaudt said, is how much infrastructure work Iowa can undertake in a short time period. The federal stimulus money will fund “shovel-ready” projects that can start soon.

“There would be a lot of money put into construction,” he said. “Do Iowa companies have the capacity to do all that work or will we be bringing in out-of-state workers to do some of it, especially if we pass bonds on top of that? It’s something we should be looking at, as I don’t think we have all the details on the table yet.”

Iowa’s infrastructure needs are the victim of short-term thinking, Vaudt said, and it is time that changed.

“If we did longer-term planning, we would have the ability to at least take a look at what we’re doing, what the requirements are upcoming and how we’re going to meet those needs,” he said, adding: “There is no magical right or wrong answer. I think if you talked to the average taxpayer, they would say they don’t want taxes increased, period. But at the same time Iowa has to decide what revenue stream we need in order to provide these services.”

Iowa lawmakers are currently considering an 8-cent increase in the state's gas tax. Iowa hasn't increased its 21-cent gas tax since 1989.

Arne Hallam and David Swenson of Iowa State University’s economics department testified before a joint meeting of House and Senate transportation committees that the heaviest users of state roadways should bear the largest burden for maintaining them, including out-of-state motorists and truck drivers.

“If you want to fix the roads, the most efficient way to fix the roads is charge a user fee and in the current environment, the most efficient user fee is some type of fuel tax,” Hallam said.

The two agreed that the overall impact on the average Iowan would be minor. A 10-cent increase in the gas tax would cost anywhere from $33 to $100 a year depending on an automobile’s fuel efficiency. Iowans can offset how much they have to pay because they choose their vehicles, Hallam said.

“You can trade in your Dodge Ram for a Toyota Prius,” he said.

Lawmakers are currently considering bills in both chambers that would increase the state’s fuel tax 4 cents this year and 4 cents in 2010, a move expected to bring in nearly $170 million a year for critical road and bridge repairs.

Gov. Chet Culver has repeatedly said he does not support any tax increases during an economic recession. Monday he said the $358 million in infrastructure money the state will receive from the federal stimulus bill makes the gas tax an even worse idea.

Hallam said Iowa should use the federal money for projects where a user fee, like the gas tax, can’t be imposed. Hallam also called the gas tax a fairer solution than borrowing to pay for roads, an idea pushed by Culver.

“It’s obvious that the state of Iowa has underinvested in recent years,” Swenson said. “We’ve used up much of our infrastructure, we’ve not been paying full cost, we’re probably realizing the consequences of that with slower travel times and vehicle damage. This is a cost that has to be made back up and [increasing the gas tax] is one good way to do it.”

State Sen. Tom Rielly told AP’s Mike Glover that, despite Gov. Chet Culver’s objections, he plans to continue the process of passing a bill to raise the gas tax this year.  “We’re going to let the process work its way through,” said Rielly, chair of the Transportation Committee.

The proposal in question would raise the gas tax by a total of 8 cents per gallon — 4 cents this year and 4 cents next year — and would pay specifically for transportation infrastructure maintenance.