By Emily Geiger

I just read an article about how some Touchplay-esque game machines are receiving complaints here in Iowa. Apparently, these machines are found in bars. You have to insert cash to play a “game,” and then, depending on your game performance, you get a certain number of tickets, tokens, or vouchers, which you can redeem for food or drinks at the establishment you’re at. (Think Chuck E. Cheese for grown-ups.) The problem is, adults want to get their money’s worth, and often, the machine will spit out a voucher for $5, when the customer only wants a $3 beer. Then the customer often asks for a cash refund of the extra $2 they are owed.

The problem is, if the bar gives them the cash refund, that’s illegal. Any bar that does that can have its liquor license suspended for two weeks. The article cites numerous examples bars and bar employees being busted in sting operations set up by DCI agents.

The funny thing is, right before this article, I’d just read another from the Register’s John Carlson, who talked about his research on high-priced, web-based prostitutes in light of the Eliot Spitzer scandal. Carlson had found that law enforcement in Iowa doesn’t spend much time investigating web-based prostitution because they just “do not have much time to devote” to it. Maybe because they’re too busy yanking liquor licenses from bars for giving $2 cash refunds.

Would it be too much to hope for that the fuzz might learn to prioritize?

By Emily Geiger

Obviously, Nathan and I are coordinating very well since we both wrote on the same topics on the same day, but I thought I'd post my thoughts anyways..

Smoking Ban Update

It appears the Iowa House has done a 180 and completely gutted the state-wide smoking ban it approved a few weeks ago . Before, the only exemption the House was going to allow was for smoking in casinos. Now, an amendment has been approved that would exempt businesses who hold liquor licenses during times when no minors are present. That means restaurants and bars can get around the smoking ban if they have a liquor license. Anti-smoking groups are upset because this bill could actually allow smoking in more places than it is allowed now.

Why the sudden change in the house? Good question. The impression I get is that the House passed a version of the bill that they thought would never pass the senate. This made them look like they actually cared about the health of Iowans. Then the Senate went and passed a version of the bill that was even more strict than the House’s version. The House’s reaction: Oh, $*&#. Now they have to back track.

The other scenario that I think seems plausible is that the House is punishing the Senate for not going along with their casino exemption. Essentially, the House is saying, “If you don’t like what we give you, we won’t give you anything at all.”

Staci Appel & Bruce Braley v. David Hartsuch

 It appears either Bruce Braley is making stuff up, or Staci Appel is making stuff up and telling it to Bruce Braley. Recently, Braley made a remark reprimanding his potential Congressional opponent, David Hartsuch, for comments Hartsuch allegedly made about Hartsuch’s fellow state senator, Staci Appel. Braley alleged that Harsuch told Appel on the floor of the Iowa State Senate that Appel was unfit to teach Sunday School because of her support for abortion rights.

The problem is, Hartsuch never said anything of the sort. Hartsuch has even obtained an audio recording of the floor debate during which the comment was allegedly made. The senate was debating a bill that would allow kids out of school to attend religious education classes. Hartsuch did ask Appel if she taught Sunday School, but only in an effort to show that religious education was important. Nothing about abortion or Appel’s fitness or qualifications to teach Sunday School was ever mentioned.

Is this just Braley being overzealous in his attacks on his opponents? I certainly hope that it’s not Appel being unable to remember this incident, or having a delusional recollection of it. That’s a scary thought. Either way, I think this is a sign of things to come. Braley will do anything to win re-election, including make things up and outrightly lie about his opponent. Braley’s gloves are already off, so Hartsuch better be ready for a brawl. From what I understand, Hartsuch is up for the task, so get ready for some fireworks in the Iowa ’s First Congressional District.

Oh, and if Staci Appel is the pro-choice lib she seems to be, she shouldn't be teaching Sunday School.

Iowa House Guts Smoking Ban

Yesterday the Iowa House took up the smoking ban again, but this time they exempted establishments were customers age 21 are older are allowed. I think the public will find this version of the bill easier to swallow, but from everything I have read it doesn’t give any breaks to the incorporated farmer who likes to light up while doing field work, or the truck driver driving hundreds of miles a day.

So here is a scenario for you. Let’s say I own a bar, let’s call in Nathan’s. I’m open all day, I serve breakfast in the morning to a bunch of farmers and laborers, I have a pretty solid lunch crowd, and things get kicking at night. Now my clientele in the morning for breakfast are a bunch of old guys who like to smoke. So as the owner of my establishment I make my morning hours 21 or older, I’m smoke free for lunch, and then when 4 o’clock rolls around we are 21 or older again for the after work crowd. Seems to me like nothing is going to change except for the big chain restaurants I try to avoid anyway.

So our legislators just spent countless hours debating and reworking a bill that cracks down on people smoking in tractors and semi trucks. The bill heads back to the Senate. What a waste of time.

Staci Appel and Bruce Braley lie about Hartsuch Comments

The Register has an interesting story about a flare up between Sens. Appel (huge lib) and Heartsuch (good solid conservative), with a little Congressman Bruce Braley thrown in.

Apparently Appel had been briefing Braley on his likely congressional opponent (Hartsuch).

Braley said he’d heard that Hartsuch told state Sen. Staci Appel, a Democrat from Ackworth, during debate on an anti-bullying bill last year that she wasn’t fit to teach Sunday school because of her position on abortion rights. Braley went on to say that Hartsuch engaged in politics based on “fear and division.”

Hartsuch wasn’t going to let them distort the record and called Appel out this morning on the floor of the Senate. Now some of the squishes in the Senate didn’t like his approach but I give him mad props for setting the record straight. Hartsuch produced the following recording of the exchange to reporters.

The tape showed that during the debate, Hartsuch asked Appel if it was true she attended a Methodist church, and taught Sunday school. Appel agreed and said she taught 4-year-olds.

“I want to thank you for your service in that area,” Hartsuch told her.
When Hartsuch asked her if it was rewarding, state Sen. Robert Dvorsky, a Democrat from Coralville, interrupted to question the relevance of Hartsuch’s inquiry.

Hartsuch said today he was trying to convince lawmakers to pass an amendment that would allow children to get out of school early for a religious education class, if they so chose. He said his aim in complimenting Appel was to point out she was trying to improve children’s morals — and that was also the goal of his amendment.

Way to not back down Sen. Hartsuch!

Did Steve Rathje go to Syracuse?

Man the dude needs to lay off the sunless tan…

Anyway, I couldn’t sleep the other night so I checked out his website. I know, you want to know if it worked or not, the quick answer is yes.

Anyway there are some new things there like a video which isn’t half bad, some photos of him campaigning, and Leon Mosley telling you why he’s supporting Steve. Yeah, I’m busted; it was Leon’s sweet lullaby that helped me fall asleep.

So now that we have a three way primary between Rathje, who has something like $68 bucks in the bank, George Eichhorn, who lost his seat to McKinley Bailey, as well as failed attempts to win the nomination to run in Stew Iverson’s old senate district, and to serve on the State Central Committee, and Christopher Reed who looks like a Bill Salier want-a-be, I thought I’d give you my take on it.

First, I do believe that any of the three can win the primary, but as I sit behind my computer I have to tell you that Steve Rathje is the favorite. While he has run a poor campaign he has visited county events and met with the Republican activists. That’s more than can be said for the other two. Secondly, there are around 90 days to the June primary. All of these guys need to raise money and get known. I don’t see it happening, again advantage Rathje.

Unless one of these other guys makes a move quickly I don’t think they stand much of a shot.

By Emily Geiger

There have been conflicting reports this morning regarding New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s future career plans. The first headline I read said that Mrs. Spitzer was telling him not to resign (and from the look on her face the other day at her husband’s half-hearted confessional press conference, I didn’t believe that one).

The latest headline I read said that Gov. Spitzer would be resigning this morning. I believe that is the right course of action for many reasons. First, the guy has broken the law. Yes, soliciting a prostitute is illegal (as it should be). Facilitating the travel of a prostitute across state lines is even more illegal (as it should be). And laundering money to pay for your prostitutes is also illegal (as it should be). Given that Spitzer has participated in all these illegalities, he has no credibility left, and he needs to go.

More importantly, he needs to resign for the sake of his family. GOP legislators in the state have already said that if he doesn’t resign, they will begin the process of impeachment (and rightfully so). If this guy cares at all about his wife and three teenaged daughters, he will spare them the embarrassment of having the details of his illicit sex life sprawled across the headlines for the next few years.

Contrary to what I heard a lot of liberal pundits saying yesterday, this was not a victimless crime (just ask the wife and daughters if you have any doubt about that). While sex was involved in this situation, the resignation is not about him cheating on his wife. If he had flown to one of those Nevada counties where prostitution is legal, we’d all think he was a slimeball, but I doubt he’d be facing impeachment. That’s the difference between JFK, who we all know was an infamous playboy, and the likes of Bill Clinton and Eliot Spitzer. Clinton and Spitzer weren’t just disrespecting their wives and daughters, they were engaging in actual crimes (i.e. perjury, money laundering, etc.) for which anyone else would suffer criminal consequences. And the liberal response to this: this is a GOP witch hunt that’s all about sex. No, it’s about treating (powerful) people who commit crimes the same as other (not so powerful) people who commit crimes. It’s a little thing called equal protection. Liberals should look into it sometime.

This is about what is legal and what is illegal. It’s about time that a politician caught in his own stupidity and immorality did the right thing. Resign now and spare us all gory details.

Obviously we are going to take a little break from Iowa Politics to discuss New York Governor Spitzer’s (D) involvement in the prostitution sting. Before we get into all of the political ramifications, I first want to offer my thoughts and prayers to the Spitzer family. I can’t imagine what his wife and daughters are going through.

From all accounts I have been able to read, Eliot Spitzer was an up and coming star in the Democratic Party. Spitzer attended Princeton University and then received a J.D. from Harvard. After a few years of private practice he joined the Manhattan district attorney's office. He was elected as the New York State Attorney General in 1998 and was elected Governor in 2006.

From the media reports Spitzer was believed to be a man of integrity and high ethical standards. He fought to clean up corruption on Wall Street, and fought organized crime. Its safe to say Spitzer was made of presidential timber.

It seems like the only thing that could prevent Spitzer from ultimate greatness was himself. He used his position as Governor to have the state police follow and keep records on the State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R). And now he is involved in an FBI prostitution sting.

I find all of Spitzer’s actions to be despicable, and while it was nice that he held a press conference to apologize to his family, what about the people of New York? I would also think the New York taxpayers deserve to know how much of this type of activity they paid for. I say that because the Governor of New York travels with quite an entourage: state police, chief of staff, and other officials. I can remember that when George Pataki was visiting Iowa while contemplating a White House run of his own, his entourage many times outnumbered the people that came out to meet him.

I think it’s pretty safe to assume that other state employees either turned a blind eye or helped Spitzer plan and carry out his escapades. What is troubling about this is that it wasn’t like he was having and affair with another woman, he was breaking the law.

It’s obvious from reading the FBI’s affidavit that Spitzer used the services of the Emperors Club multiple times. He had a credit from a previous encounter and also paid extra for this visit which would be used as a future deposit. It is also very clear that Spitzer was covering his tracks, meaning he knew the consequences of being caught.

I don’t think Spitzer has any option but to resign. I see this in the same exact light of Sen. Larry Craig, who also should have resigned after his ordeal in a Minneapolis Airport bathroom.  (Will George Clooney do a little skit about Spitzer at the next awards show?) Craig was an outspoken proponent of traditional marriage and family values, however, he led a secret life that ran counter to his public persona. He also broke the law. Spitzer has a record of breaking up prostitution rings and being a man of integrity and high ethical standards, yet he pays prostitutes for sex and breaks the same laws that he once enforced.

Governor Spitzer should do the right thing for his family and the State of New York: resign.