This is a problem for King! Iowa is big on biofuels, wind energy, and now increasingly solar energy. King explains his dilemma—does he correct the president on the fly during one of his phone tirades on energy, or hope that a teachable moment arrives later? The republican dilemma
-
-
Hemp farmer won't give up easy. He explains high BTU content of hemp oil, that it's a less thirsty crop than corn. This leads to a discussion of ethanol; for every 100 bushels of corn grown in the United States, 38 go to ethanol production
Show this thread -
The next question is about King's stance on ag-gag laws. These are laws that prohibit the undercover photography of animal cruelty in concentrated feeding operations. Questioner is torn; he wouldn't let strangers skulk around his business, but some of the animal cruelty is awful
Show this thread -
King also deplores animal cruelty, but accuses the Humane Society of the United States of "trying to take the meat off our plate". Iowa is #1 in egg and pork production. People don't want California regulating Iowa meat, or telling Iowans how to make their ethanol
Show this thread -
"We have Californians going into our hen houses with measuring tape," King says. Sees the attempts by California and other states at enforcing certain production methods as an unconstitutional violation of the interstate commerce clause.
Show this thread -
Next question is by a wind farmer. Many Iowa farmers put up a wind turbine on their land, it pays tens of thousands to the farmer, and same in taxes. Asks for Kings's support for that, and solar. King again explains the difficulty of talking to Trump about renewable energy.
Show this thread -
The discussion veers off into one of anhydrous ammonia. The problem with wind power is that there's no good way to store a surplus; one scheme is to use it to produce anhydrous ammonia. King is for "clean coal" but also for Iowa being a net energy exporter from wind and biofuels
Show this thread -
Someone else asks King about repeal of the ACA, and what his plans are for the 22 million it would leave uninsured. King wants health insurance sold across state lines, pharmaceuticals imported from Canada to lower prices, expand HSAs so people can afford Medicare alternatives
Show this thread -
He says Republicans are deeply committed to protecting people with pre-existing conditions, talks about the plight of people who are forced now by the law to pay health insurance premiums that they cannot afford. Hopes there is time left for reform in the current administration
Show this thread -
Last questioner is on energy again. He is all for green energy, biofuels, but wants balance so that we're not forced to buy our oil from Russia and Iran. "We can't fly our planes on wind; we don't want to be beholden to the Saudis". On this eloquent note the event wraps up.
Show this thread -
King makes his closing remarks. We have the best place in the world to raise a family, people recognize that when they come to Iowa. We shape the presidential platform, because candidates field-test their political ideas here. Then New Hampshire breaks it, South Carolina fixes it
Show this thread -
The Presidency is not about any individuals but about ideas and values. When he first visited the White House in 2017, he thought "my gosh, we actually got Iowa values into the Oval Office. The promises are all up in the War Room, with check marks next to the ones fulfilled."
Show this thread -
With that, the event is over. King stays around to talk to whoever wants to speak with him, the rest of us leave. I come away from this event impressed with King as a political actor, and with a clearer understanding of why he will win his primary despite raising almost no money.
Show this thread -
I would especially like to point out the cross-cutting issues brought up at this event that don't break cleanly on party lines: marijuana legalization (and hemp production), health care access in rural places, free trade, renewable energy, and of course immigration policy.
Show this thread -
Thank you for enduring this long thread! My sole request is, please don't reply to this thread with political opinions; we probably share them, no one will convince anyone here on Twitter if we don't, and it makes the discussion tiresome.
Show this thread -
You might also be interested in seeing the (very good!) political ad that King, one of the worst fundraisers in Congress, dusts off and re-runs every four years. I think of King's lack of fundraising as another manifestation of his intellectual vanity.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWCXEgv5miE …
Show this thread -
One footnote to this event: there was a town hall with Joe Biden in Mason City earlier that morning, where press nearly outnumbered attendees. But no national reporters came to Steve King's town hall that afternoon, six miles away, though it was politically far more interesting
Show this thread -
The event was instead covered by the Iowa local press. Iowa has some of the best regional and local reporting in the country, and events like this highlight why it is so vital to keep local journalism alive.https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/state-and-regional/iowa/in-town-hall-steve-king-touts-opening-up-trade-says/article_0587e778-1bbb-5aec-acf1-d9d1db6567aa.html …
Show this thread
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.