Author: coldhardcashner

Braley Bytes: Ben Lange Back To Battle Braley Edition

According to Craig Robinson at The Iowa Republican:

On Wednesday, Ben Lange, the Republican nominee in the 1st Congressional District in 2010, will announce that he will begin to actively prepare for a rematch with Congressman Bruce Braley in the reconfigured 1st Congressional District. Lange narrowly lost to Braley in what was one of the closest races in the country in 2010. Lange lost to Braley by 4,209 votes, which was less than two percent of the vote.

A rematch between Lange and Braley would be interesting, but while the candidates will be familiar with one another, the reconfigured 1st District will make the 2012 campaign much different from the 2010 contest.

Other potential Republican challengers to Braley include Cedar Rapids businessman Steve Rathje and former C.R. mayor Paul Pate.  Robinson continues:

Not only is Bruce Braley is vulnerable, but it seems certain that Republicans will once again put up a tough candidate against him. Braley took less than 50 percent of the vote last cycle, a critical threshold for campaign odds-makers. Since the last election, his star has continued falling, including losing his choice seat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He has become marginalized in Washington and has continued casting votes (aside from government takeovers, bailouts, and Obamacare) that will put him at odds with the majority of voters in the new district.

Since he’s a conservative and I’m a libertarian, Ben Lange and I don’t agree on every political point.  But, I have to admit, I’ve got a soft spot for Lange, not just because of his noble sounding first name, but because we both grew up around the same unpronounceable small town of Quasqueton.  Besides, I wish luck to anyone who wants to add Bruce Braley to the ranks of the unemployed.

Greg Graver Grabs Grand Win

About a week late, but for those of you outside the area who might not have heard, Chief Deputy Greg Graver won the special sheriff’s election mentioned in the previous post.  Although Graver was nominated by petition and was running against the two major party candidates, he walked away with an impressive 72% of the vote.

Congratulations Sheriff Graver!

Jones County Sheriff’s Election and the Second Amendment

Here in Jones County Iowa we will be having a special election to choose our sheriff this Tuesday.  Our long-time and well liked sheriff Mark Denniston retired this summer.  Besides being a good all-around law enforcement officer and administrator, county gun owners liked Denniston because of his friendly stance on Second Amendment issues.

Sheriff Denniston maintained a “shall-issue” policy on weapons permits back when the state left issuance solely to each sheriff’s discretion.  After the statewide shall-issue law (which Denniston championed) passed, Jones County supervisors considered passing a carry ban in the county courthouse.  Sheriff Denniston threw cold water on their idea (in the form of common sense), pointing out that signs with a line through a picture of a gun don’t stop deranged shooters and that a true “gun-free zone” would require additional personnel and screening stations at each entrance, costing scads of money that the county didn’t have.

When he decided to retire, Denniston initially asked his Chief Deputy Greg Graver if he’d be interested in finishing the balance of his term.  Graver discovered that if a special election was called during that time, and if he lost, the appointed sheriff would lose his employment with the county.  With a wife and three kids at home, Graver passed but expressed interest in running in the next election (which he assumed would be in 2012).  Denniston then turned to long-time deputy and jailer Harvey DeSotel, who accepted.

The Jones County Supervisors approved DeSotel as the new sheriff and he has served in that office since June.  The transition from Denniston to DeSotel was pretty seamless and smooth.  Indeed, most Jones County residents probably never noticed.  However, supporters of the other candidate that the Supervisors considered for the job, Rick LaMere, successfully circulated a petition calling for a special election to fill the spot.

That election will be this Tuesday, October 4th.  On the ballot are Rick LaMere (Republican), Harvey L. DeSotel (Democrat), Greg A. Graver (Nominated by Petition) and Scotty Shover (Nominated by Petition).  I wanted to ask the candidates their positions on some Second Amendment issues.  I was only able to dig up email addresses for Sheriff DeSotel and Chief Deputy Graver.  Thankfully, they’re the only two I was considering voting for anyway.

LaMere is a retired DEA agent.  The pragmatist in me says that the experience of being a federal agent doesn’t directly translate into being a good local law enforcement officer.  The libertarian in me says that the federal war on drugs has been one of this country’s biggest, most expensive, unconstitutional failures leading to increased crime, corruption, and violence and decreased civil liberties, especially Fourth Amendment protections.  If that’s where this guy cut his teeth, no thanks.  The other guy, Scotty Shover, has no law enforcement experience whatsoever and his main qualification seems to be that he collected the requisite number of signatures to appear on the ballot.

I asked DeSotel and Graver the following three questions via email:

1. Do you support Iowa’s current “shall issue” weapons permit law as written?

2. Will you push for any additional carry restrictions in the county, such as on county property?

3. Would you support a permitless carry system (“Constitutional Carry”), such as been adopted in Vermont, Alaska and a few other states?

Here are Sheriff DeSotel’s responses:

Question 1. Just as the former Sheriff, Mark Denniston, I fully support the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution. Mark would not have supported me without sharing the feelings.

Question 2. No I will not push for additional carry restrictions in the county. I believe there are too many restrictions as it stands.

Question 3. Should a state “Constitutional Carry” laws be brought up for adoption I am not certain. I still think there needs to be some sort of accountability. I’m not saying a big brother or myself needs to know, but any way we can keep the guns out of the bad guys hands is better than the other. I feel that every law abiding citizen that can show that they know how to handle a weapon safely should be given the right guaranteed to them by the constitution to carry that weapon as a matter of personal defense. I feel that the more that the public and the criminals know that the citizens of Jones County are carrying weapons for personal defense, I think that the amount of personal impact crime will stay down to where it is now. Jones County has long been known as a heavily carrying county, and the criminals know this too.

Here are Chief Deputy Graver’s responses:

Question 1. I do support the “shall issue” law, but I would like to see a few minor changes. For example. If a retired vet brings in a DD214, he is issued a permit. Even if he has not been in the military since 1948. Yet a active war vet back from his 3rd tour of duty in Iraq, needs to show small arms quals. To me, although I support our vets, the 1st vet may not have held a firearm for 60 years and yet the law makes more of an issue for our active vets. It offends me, can’t believe how they must feel!

Question 2. I spent 8 years of my career working mostly felony crimes. I know the criminals I sought out had access to firearms, no matter what the law said. Unless the county is willing to man 1 entrance with a metal detector and make it a safe zone, not going to happen. A sign on the door restricting firearms is not going to affect those looking for criminal activity. Those who are carrying lawfully should be permitted to carry on county property. Shootings at a court house have happened in the past and I would hope someone I issued a permit to, could intervene and stop the threat if I can’t!

Question 3. I do not know enough about that to make an opinion. Since other states have gone to this, I would like to know from their experience, does the good outway (sic) the bad and how. I could base my opinion on their experience and this would give me great insight to make an informed decision.

In my humble opinion, Graver or DeSotel both are fine for sheriff.  They both have plenty of experience in local law enforcement and neither appear anti-Second Amendment.  Since I can’t vote for them both, I’ll be marking my ballot for Greg Graver.   I believe Graver’s wide-ranging experience (from patrol officer, to EMT, to supervisor, to criminal investigator) edges out DeSotel’s.  But if DeSotel wins, I’ll sleep just fine at night too.

Walk to End Alzheimer’s 2011

Those of you who’ve read this blog for awhile know that every year about this time I participate in the Alzheimer’s Association “Walk to End Alzheimer’s” (formerly called “Memory Walk”).  This year is no different and I’ll be walking in the Manchester Iowa event on October 8th.  If you would like to find a “Walk to End Alzheimer’s” near you in Iowa check here.

The walks raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association which bills itself as “the leading, global voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care and support, and the largest private, nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research.”  Alzheimer’s disease is an incurable, degenerative brain disease.  An early symptom is short-term memory loss, but eventually it leads to severe confusion, loss of linguistic abilities, and ultimately death.  It is currently the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. and its toll is raising.

If you’ve read the blog for awhile you’ll probably also know that I have a personal interest in Alzheimer’s disease.  My mom was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s about nine years ago at the age of 60.  Although she was able to live at home with my father most of that time, this year her condition worsened dramatically and she had to move into a nursing home.  It now appears that her time with us is growing short.

Although any cure found with current research funding that may come along will be too late for my mom, it will help somebody’s mom… or dad or brother or sister.  That’s why I’ll be walking in the event.  If anyone would like to sponsor my walk with a small contribution to this worthy cause, please click here.

Ron Paul: The Media’s 13th Floor

Many of us Ron Paul supporters have been biting our knuckles for a long time over the fact that Ron Paul can’t seem to get any notice from the mainstream media.  Apparently others have begun to notice too.  Check out this video of Daily Show host John Stewart (who is probably not a supporter of Dr. Paul, but just enjoys pointing out the media’s foibles) as he demonstrates the media’s ignoring of Ron Paul.  (Stewart humorously likens the media’s treatment of Paul to the 13th floor of a hotel.)

So why don’t the media like Ron Paul?  Writing for the Chicago Tribune, John Kass has some theories.  One is that “the media is merely trying to provide us with loving protection from Paul and those challenging libertarian ideals:

“Such as the view we shouldn’t be eager to be groped in airports or to fund another war in the Middle East, or that we should legalize drugs rather than fight the drug wars, or the wild idea that a coffee shop waitress should not be expected to pay taxes on her tips.

“These are extreme notions, though the principles behind them were once held dear by a few old guys in powdered wigs who founded this country.

“The TV people are happy to do the work for you, and tell you what notions are fit for public debate.”

But another theory that he proffers is that the Democrat and Republican establishment (and thereby their cohorts in the media) are just plain scared of the old boy since he could steal votes from the existing power structure.  Writes Kass:  “Paul is anti-war, and there are many independent Democrats who’ve been anti-war, including those who elected President Barack Obama in 2008 and have since turned on him because, well, he recently help start a war in Libya, turning America’s two wars into three.

“Paul also doesn’t campaign on social issues, like outlawing abortion, or involving the government in the bedroom. He’s not a political evangelical, so Paul’s stance would be attractive to many Democrats.”

Republican power brokers fear Paul mucking up the works too.  “[I]t’s obvious Republicans see Paul as a threat,” writes Kass.  “Perhaps it’s the fact that Paul ridicules the GOP military drumbeat against Iran. It may be that he appeals to tea party fiscal conservatives, and if these voters begin to lean toward Paul, the establishment GOP will be left with defense contractors, neocons and evangelicals, not enough to win a national election.”

So the media has lots of reasons to downplay Dr. Paul’s campaign.  Is there anything that can be done about it?  Some local Ron Paul supporters are going to try.

Liberty-activist Brandon Echols recently informed me that a grassroots group will be staging a “protest in response to the Mainstream Media’s blackout on coverage of Ron Paul.”  They will gather at the Cedar Rapids Gazette Headquarters (also home of KCRG tv news) at 500 3rd Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa from 4pm to 5pm on Friday, August 26.  All who support Dr. Paul or are against biased journalism are encouraged to attend.  You can view their Facebook event page here. 

According to Echols, this will be a “peaceful and lawful” rally in support of Ron Paul.  I should note that this assembly is not affiliated with, nor sanctioned by, Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign.

A Day at the Straw Poll

Representative Ron Paul addresses supporters at the Ames Straw Poll.
Dr. Paul is on the covered stage at center left.  (Photo by author.)

After months of planning and hard work the Iowa Straw Poll in Ames is finally over.  I spent the day there and, although the results weren’t exactly what I wanted, it was time well spent.

The day began early as myself and some local Ron Paul supporters boarded a bus provided by the campaign in Anamosa.  Fourteen of us got on at Anamosa and the bus already had about that many on it from Maquoketa.  One septuagenarian that got on with us told me that his daughter had chided him for not riding with her group on the Michele Bachmann bus.  He said that he told her that he wanted to ride with “the young people.”

That might be a bit of an overgeneralization of Ron Paul’s supporters, since they run the gamut, but Dr. Paul certainly does have more young and energetic followers than the others.  I’m betting that our bus had more examples of tattoos and body-piercings than, say, a typical Rick Santorum bus.  It’s somewhat ironic that 76-year-old R.P., the oldest candidate in the race, would have so many young supporters.  My theory on why is because younger Americans have been so immersed in commercial media their whole lives that they can tell the difference between when they are being talked to and when they are being marketed to.  R.P. just says what he thinks while other candidates spout poll-tested platitudes designed to elicit the desired response (a vote).

As soon as the bus arrived at the ISU campus (where the Straw Poll takes place) a Ron Paul campaign staffer escorted our group up to the voting area and everyone voted.  After that we were free to enjoy the festivities.  Ron Paul’s area was in the prime location in the central courtyard next to Hilton Coliseum.  He had a stage with bands playing, games for the kids (including a dunk tank featuring someone in a Ben Bernanke mask getting dunked), and barbecue and hot dogs being served.  I even spent an hour or so helping hand out pop and water to the thirsty crowd at Dr. Paul’s beverage tent.

For once the campaign of the candidate I was supporting had all the bells and whistles and I didn’t seem to be in the minority.  People in R.P. t-shirts where everywhere, seemingly outnumbering all other supporters.

Besides all of the candidates, various groups such as Strong America Now, NRA, and Us Against Alzheimer’s had booths or tents set up.  High on my to-do list was to stop by the Iowa Gun Owners booth and get myself an IGO t-shirt.  However, due to high demand, they were out by the time I made it to their booth.  I guess I’ll have to order one on their website.

Our group waited around as long as we could to hear the results of the Straw Poll but eventually had to go catch our bus home.  On the ride home the news came in on cell phones that Ron Paul had came in a close second behind Michele Bachmann.  The final results looked like this (Votes, %):

1. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (4823, 28.55%)

2. Congressman Ron Paul (4671, 27.65%)

3. Governor Tim Pawlenty (2293, 13.57%)

4. Senator Rick Santorum (1657, 9.81%)

5. Herman Cain(1456, 8.62%)

6. Governor Rick Perry (718, 3.62%) write-in

7. Governor Mitt Romney (567, 3.36%)

8. Speaker Newt Gingrich (385, 2.28%)

9. Governor Jon Huntsman (69, 0.41%)

10. Congressman Thad McCotter (35, 0.21%)

Scattering (218, 1.30 %) Includes all those receiving votes at less than one-percent that were not on the ballot.

While Bachmann won the Straw Poll fair-and-square, we Paulistas can console ourselves with a few thoughts:

  1. It ain’t the caucus.  The straw poll is non-binding test of campaign strength primarily used as a fund-raiser for the Iowa GOP.  Hopefully the Paul campaign used it to identify their strengths and weaknesses and will put this information to good use winning the Iowa Caucus.
  2. It was darned close!  Only 152 votes (0.9%) separated Dr. Paul from the first place finisher.  If Ron Paul had won by just a fraction of a percent (as Bachmann did), you can bet the press would be playing up what a squeaker the win was.
  3. He did darned good!  Ron Paul’s second place vote total was higher than Mitt Romney’s first place vote total in 2007 and was the fourth highest vote total in Straw Poll history.  He won a higher percentage of the Straw Poll vote than the eventual caucus winner in three of the past four election cycles (including Mike Huckabee’s 18.1%).
  4. Bachmann gave away more free tickets.  While most Ron Paul supporters like myself had to pay (a discounted price) for our tickets into the Straw Poll, his campaign did buy give away 4,750 tickets for free.  Bachmann’s campaign, by contrast, gave away 6,000 freebies.  There’s nothing underhanded about that, it’s just easier to pack the house with free tickets to a free meal than a discounted price.  Ron Paul supporters mostly had to pay to vote for him and he still almost won.

Anyway, Straw Poll down.  Next stop: The Iowa Caucus.

Help Welcome Obama To Iowa

For those of you who live in Northeast Iowa (or those of you who don’t mind driving a little way) here is an email I received from the Dubuque Tea Party regarding President Obama’s upcoming visit to the state. 
As you probably know by now our job-killing president will be in Peosta, Iowa at Northeast Iowa Community College THIS TUESDAY for a Rural Economic Forum (another Agenda 21 initiative).
We are planning to protest this president during his visit. The information we have gathered shows that the Rural Economic Forum is scheduled to begin at 11:30 AM. We are planning to arrive in Peosta just before 10:00 AM. We will have to “play it by ear” as far as where we will be allowed by the Secret Service to park and protest.
Personally, I am going to try to park at the Red Roof Diner or at the Americinn which are very close to both the off ramp of Highway 20 and NICC. In my first email I mentioned that there is only one road in to NICC. I was wrong. There is also an entrance to NICC off Burds road to the north. Hopefully they will use the Enterprise Drive entrance.
I have got to believe the president’s bus will come in on Highway 20 and exit onto Sundown Road/Y-21/Peosta Street and pass by the Americinn Motel and Suites. That’s where I hope we can gather – along Peota Street in the grassy area in front of the Americainn.
For those who cannot make it in the morning there is another opportunity for you to protest. The Rural Economic Forum is scheduled to conclude at 2:30 PM. So, if you want you could gather at about 2:00 PM in the same above location to protest as the president departs.
Please spread the word. We would love a huge crowd to show the president and all the democrats in this area that we are still here in force, we are still very angry with this president’s job-killing Keynesian policies, we are NOT going away, and we will do whatever it takes to make him a one-term president.
Bring your signs and join us THIS TUESDAY, AUGUST 16TH at 10:00 AM.
Yours in Liberty,
Jeff Luecke for YOUR Dubuque Tea Party

http://www.teadbq.org/

P.S. I know most of us work. I am taking the morning off to do this. We need to resist this man’s incompetent manipulation and command/control of our economy. Let’s send him a strong message!!!

Update from Jeff Luecke (8-15-11):

It has come to our attention that the streets/roads in Peosta will be shut down at 9:45 AM tomorrow morning.

So, we need to get to Peosta and check things out no later than 9:30 AM to see where we can park.

If worst comes to worst we can park on the shoulder of Highway 20 and walk to wherever we want to stand as we await “The Destroyer in Chief.”

Hope to see you ALL there in FORCE to send a strong message to Mr. Obama that we do not want or need him and his oppressive policies in our lives.

"Santorum and Obama: Two Peas in a Pod?"



Senator Rick Santorum:
As president would impose his personal values
judgements in place of  U.S. Constitution.

An excerpt from an article by our friends at The Tenth Amendment Center:

Congresswoman Bachmann […] has positioned herself repeatedly as a leader in the tea party, state’s rights, and Tenth Amendment movements. Asked last night whether there was a difference between the state or federal government mandating that an individual buy a product (referring primarily to health care insurance), Bachmann responded that there was no difference. It is “unconstitutional,” she maintained, regardless of whether it is imposed by the state or federal government. She did not cite which part of the Constitution denies states this authority.

Of course, that’s because no clause in the Constitution prevents states from doing it, as Congressman Paul rightly noted in response to Bachmann’s doublethink. Paul stated that the federal government is not empowered to go in and stop states that do bad things.

Moments later, Senator Santorum jumped in to criticize both of them, claiming that their responses were indicative of “the Tenth Amendment run amok.” Said Santorum:

Michelle Bachmann says that she would go in and fight health care being imposed by states, but she wouldn’t go in and fight marriage being imposed by the states. That would be okay. We have Ron Paul saying oh, whatever the states want to do under the Tenth Amendment is fine. So if the states want to pass polygamy, that’s fine. If the states want to impose sterilization, that’s fine. No! Our country is based on moral laws, ladies and gentleman. There are things the states can’t do. Abraham Lincoln said “the states do not have the right to do wrong.” I respect the Tenth Amendment, but we are a nation that has values. We are a nation that was built on a moral enterprise. And states don’t have the right to tramp over those because of the Tenth Amendment.

Leaving aside the fact that he inaccurately portrayed Rep. Paul’s stance, it is obvious that Santorum is no Tenther, but rather a power-loving thug looking to impose his personal set of morals and values on any people living under whatever level of government he can use to accomplish his goals. In this respect, he’s hardly different from Barack Obama at all.

Obviously, Santorum has either not read or understood the Tenth Amendment — included in the Constitution which he has on several occasions sworn an oath to support and defend — which provides for the very things he is criticizing.

States do have the ability, under the constitutional system the Founders put in place, to “do wrong.” They have the sovereign authority to decide whatever they wish on whatever matters they like, provided that this authority has not already been delegated to the federal government, or has not been explicitly denied them in the Constitution.

When we sit back for a moment and recognize that the federal government already claims the power to require to you to purchase health insurance, to tell you what size toilet you can have, what kind of plants you can grow in your back yard, what kind of light bulb you can use, and so much more – don’t we realize there’s already too much federal power? For people like Obama and Santorum, it sure doesn’t seem that way.

Read the entire article here.

Ron Paul vs. Michele Bachmann: A Leader or A Cheerleader

Recently Jones County Ron Paul supporter Roger Kistler attended both a Ron Paul and a Michele Bachmann campaign event in the same day.   In this letter Kistler provides an interesting comparison of the styles of those two candidates.

Dear Jones County Ron Paulers,

Yesterday I took the day off from my work. I’m glad I did. I learned a lot and I would like to share some of that with you.

At noon I attended the Ron Paul “meet and greet” in Cedar Rapids. At four o’clock I attended a Michele Bachmann event in Maquoketa. The difference between the two campaign events was stark. I am convinced more than ever before that Ron Paul should be our nation’s next chief executive.

At the Ron Paul meet and greet, people came into the meeting at the Marriott Hotel and either stood talking to one another or sat and chatted with the person sitting next to them until Dr. Paul was introduced. Before Dr. Paul began speaking the only sound was that of people talking to one another. At the Bachmann event held in the parking lot of Flapjacks restaurant, driving music was playing over loudspeakers as the people arrived. I chatted briefly with the lady next to me but really there were very few conversations taking place.

Bachmann campaign signs and stickers were freely passed out. Ron Paul had campaign signs as well. They were neatly stacked by the exit and could be picked up on the way out.

The Bachmann campaign was literally staged. They set up a tent and a stage probably twenty feet long in front of the audience with Ms Bachmann’s campaign bus serving as a back drop. On the stage were 8 chairs with people seated facing the audience holding Bachmann signs. Ron Paul stood at a hotel podium by himself.

Not counting campaign staff, I counted between 140 and 150 people at the Ron Paul event. I counted about 60 people at the Bachman event. I found it interesting that the front page of the Dubuque Telegraph Herald today reported Bachmann having “200 Iowans” present.

The numbers in attendance did not impress me as much as their ages. The Ron Paul group was by and large younger. I was on the older side of the age curve. The Bachmann crowd was older. I was on the younger side of that crowd’s age curve.

The messages of the two candidates were as different as night and day. Dr. Paul identified problems with the country as he saw them and then proceeded to explain how they could be solved in the political arena. The audience enthusiastically but politely applauded to statements to which they obviously agreed. Bachmann on the other hand was full of questions. “Do you think Washington is spending too much of your money?” “Do you want to get rid of Obama care?” Depending upon the question, the audience responses were either a loud, vocal “Yes” or “No” occasionally accompanied by spastic applause.

Dr. Paul repeatedly referenced the US Constitution often citing specific article and section numbers. Michele Bachmann mentioned the Constitution once then added, “By the way that’s what we should follow … the Constitution.”

After Dr Paul completed his prepared remarks, he fielded questions. Michele Bachmann did not. She spoke for a little over 15 minutes and that was it. The questions Dr. Paul was asked were very thoughtful and specific. He spoke for probably 30 – 40 minutes.

On cue the music started again and from the elevated stage Ms Bachmann quickly began shaking hands as the people reached up to her while she occasionally reached down to scribble an autograph. When Ron Paul stopped talking, the crowd members started talking to each other again. Dr Paul positioned himself by the door and one by one, face to face, shook hands, fielded one-on-one questions, posed for photos and signed autographs for those interested.

I think my day could be summarized in the following way. One campaign provided thoughtful insight and those present were obviously intent on learning. The other campaign had the depth of and sounded much like a junior high pep rally.

On the way home I kept wondering, “As a nation, are we going to elect a leader or a cheerleader?” If you haven’t done it yet, get your tickets for the Ames Straw Poll at http://www.iowaforronpaul.com/ so you can vote for a leader August 13.

Ron Pauler Mike Angelos gave me a Ron Paul / Michele Backman comparison sheet. You will find it attached. Feel free to make copies and share it with your friends and especially with those who don’t really know much about Ron Paul. Thanks Mike.

It was good seeing all the Jones County Ron Paulers at the Cedar Rapids meet and greet. Keep up the good work.

Yours in liberty,
Roger Kistler,
Jones Co. chair
Ron Paul Presidential Campaign
Olin, Iowa

Federalists v. Anti-Federalists Lecture Tuesday

The Jones County 9-12 Project is hosting Professor Lee Strang who will conduct a lecture entitled, “The Federalists v. Anti-Federalists and Lessons for Today.”  This event is free and open to the public.  Here is the information from group’s website:

FEDERALISTS v. ANTI-FEDERALISTS AND LESSONS FOR TODAY

Tuesday, July 26 – 7:00 to 9:00 pm

Monticello City Council Chambers – Community Center

220 East First Street – Monticello

Why did the Federalists support the Constitution? Why did the Anti-Federalists fear the Constitution would give the federal government too much power? Professor Lee Strang will provide a foundational understanding of the debates between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, what prompted the debates, what they debated and lessons for Americans today.

Professor Lee Strang is a Professor of Law, University of Toledo in Ohio.

This event is FREE and open to the public!

I attended Professor Strang’s lecture on the U.S. Constitution last year and really enjoyed the informative event.  I’ll be attending this one as well.