Team Vander Plaats

Terry Branstad Goes on the Attack Goes After Bob Vander Plaats and Flip Flops on Attacking other Republican Candidates

DES MOINES, IA – On November 7, former Governor Terry Branstad announced that he would refrain from attacking fellow Republicans, saying “In fact, I am going to take the pledge to abide by President Reagan’s 11th Commandment, which is, and I quote, ‘speak no ill of another Republican.’ I will not attack any of the other candidates. They all have my respect.”

Candidate Branstad kept his word for precisely 12 days.

Last night at the Sac County Republican Central Committee meeting, Branstad reneged, attacking rival candidate Bob Vander Plaats’ position on marriage equality. “And now I know there is one candidate that says that I will just sign an executive order the first day that I am governor. Do you know any state that has restored one-man, one-woman marriage through executive order?”

Vander Plaats’ has said previously that he intends to sign an executive order banning marriage equality on his first day as governor. He’s also called Branstad’s position against issuing an executive order as “lukewarm” and “politically cautious.”(1)

This isn't the first exchange between the Republican candidates over important issues to their primary voters. Earlier in the week, Chris Rants criticized Branstad's record increasing the gas tax.(2) Candidate Branstad faces increasing attacks from his Republican rivals because of his record of raising taxes, keeping two sets of books, and running up massive deficits as Governor.

Branstad reneging on his promise ‘to speak no ill of another Republican’ shows how far Terry Branstad may have to go to win this increasingly divisive primary- even denying his own record on issues like the gas tax and the federal deductibility.